To catch an angel
by TheAlmightyComposer
Summary: If a friend goes missing, you chase after them. Joshua was no different. Eventual NekuJosh.
1. Chapter 1

**ARGH this idea has been bugging me for ages, and I FINALLY got it up! **

**Also I haven't written for a while, so this is kinda practice. Both with the words themselves and keeping people in character. So if anyone notices any flaws with this please let me know! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own TWEWY. Never have, never will. **

**I had to re-edit this whole thing cause FF cuts out 'Mr.' and 'Hakenoma' when I put them together... *grumbles* **

Neku sat under the statue of Hachiko, staring aimlessly out over the sea of people that buzzed all around him. Eyes scanned over the chatter, searching for something, anything… but nothing was there.

_He hasn't shown up today either…_

An irritated sigh escaped his lips as he got to his feet, absentmindedly stretching up above his head as he cast one last glance over the masses. It just made no sense! He'd though Joshua would've appeared by now… Then again, it had been two weeks since the Game had ended, maybe he'd forgotten? No, he was always obnoxiously precise and organised. So maybe…

Neku bit back a hiss as his thoughts chased themselves around his head, firing off reasons faster than one of his rapid-fire pins. Why did Joshua have to be so bloody complicated? There had to be a reason why he hadn't shown up… and as far as Neku was concerned, the idea that he was brushing them off simply wasn't possible.

He knew that the others believed it; with Beat storming off after the third day followed by Shiki during the fifth, until even Rhyme quietly left on the seventh with an apology and sympathy in her eyes. But Neku continued, waiting for half an hour each day after school.

It turned out that he and Shiki went to the same school, much to his delight. Neku just never noticed due to his sheer determination to shut the world out. And so he'd settled into a routine: leave school with Shiki and Eri, meet up with Beat and Rhyme at the Wildkat café and muck about, then Neku would go wait at Hachiko while everyone went their separate ways. Mr.H was more than happy for the extra business, and Eri has settled into their little group quite well. Shiki had of course told her everything, so she didn't get mad when Neku occasionally mixed the two of them up…

Wait.

_Mr.H_!

Sanae had known Joshua for ages, even worked with him. Surely he'd know something Neku didn't! Without a second thought he spun on his heel, bolting towards Cat Street and the likeable designer that lived therein.

"So let me get this straight." Mr.H hummed as he fiddled with his coffee, pressing the right buttons to create what he had learned was Neku's favourite blend. "You want to know about Joshua so you can figure out why he hasn't shown up yet, and how to fix it."

"That sounds about right." Neku nodded in thanks for the steaming cup that was placed in front of him, sighing appreciatively as he cradled it in his hands. "You told me earlier that he used to drop by, back when he was living in the RG."

The older man simply nodded, easing himself down in the chair opposite. "Mm, he did. That doesn't mean that I know everything."

"Well, you've definitely been around him longer than the one week I have!" Neku laughed as he spoke, already wrapped up in the likeable aura that seemed to follow CAT's true face everywhere. "Besides, the two of you seemed to get along. And it's not like Joshua was born the Composer or anything." Neku deliberately pushed aside the uncomfortable revelation that Joshua must've killed the old Composer in favour of focusing on his companion.

"Heh… You've certainly thought this through!" Mr.H chuckled, regarding the ex-player with genuine amusement. "All right Phones, I'll tell ya what I know if you can answer one thing for me." Neku simply nodded, puzzled. What on earth could he possibly know that Mr.H didn't?

"Shoot."

"Why do you want Joshua to come back?" Neku blinked at that. Well, that was easy.

"…He's my friend. I invited him and he didn't show up, and I wanna know why. Also he can't get away with leaving me hanging like this!" Neku's joking tone only seemed to exasperate the designer, uneasily scratching the back of his neck.

"Okay, lemme try that again. Joshua lied to, manipulated and _killed_ you, but you still consider him a friend and want to understand him. Tell me, what is driving this endless trust? _Why_ do you want Joshua to come back?"

_Ah._

Neku stared into his coffee, Mr.H's question racing around his head. Why did he want to see Joshua so bad? He knew that he was stubborn, but… Most sane people would push themselves away from their would-be killer, and yet here Neku was, chasing after the kid that actually did end his life. It did make you wonder. He must've been silent for a while as Mr.H sighed deeply, shifting in his seat.

"Well, you don't have to answer it now. Just keep it in mind, okay?" The designer grinned at the ex-player, attempting to bring back the light-hearted mood from before and snap Neku out of his brooding. "Let's see… Joshua. Ah, where to start?"

"At the beginning would be nice." Neku's mouth twitched upwards, taking a sip of his brew in a bid to forget the uncomfortable questions Sanae had put forward. Luckily said male seemed just as eager to move on, so the soul-searching was quickly forgotten.

"Well then, Joshua was born in Shibuya hospital at 3 am on the…"

"Not that far back, you dolt!" he couldn't help it, Neku just burst out laughing. He had good coffee, good music and good company. What else could he possibly need? Mr.H flashed him a lopsided grin, kicking up his feet to rest on the table in front of him.

"Whoops, my bad! Let's see... Joshua staggered in here one day, covered in bruises and sopping wet. Turned out he'd gotten lost on his way home in the pelting rain. So I, being the handsome gentleman that I am, gave him coffee and helped him warm up. It was then that he said the strangest thing."

"What?"

"He said 'They're waiting for me outside.' He murmured it so quietly I thought I'd misheard him, but he obviously hadn't noticed he'd said it aloud, so I let it slide. Thought maybe he'd caught hypothermia or something, hallucinations and all that.

So he stayed inside until the rain stopped, quietly thanked me, and left."

"That's it?" Neku had expected something a bit more…dramatic. Explosive. Over the top. Something that sounded more like Joshua. The designer glared at Neku, obviously unimpressed by the interruption.

"Phones...He came back the next day, idiot. Shuffled in awkwardly with a few muffled words of gratitude and change to pay for the coffee I gave him. It was the first time I got a good look at him, and lemme tell ya, he looked nothing like he does now." Now that got the ex-player wondering. Was Joshua secretly a brunette? Did he dress like a hipster during his spell in the world of the living?

"What, did he have long hair or something?" Mr.H just snorted at that, waving away the question without a second thought.

"Not physically different, per se, more like... well, you know how Josh always looks confident?" He paused to give Neku time to nod. "There was none of that self-assurance in his face. He looked exhausted, miserable, shut down." Neku couldn't believe it. Since when was Joshua any of those things? I mean, sure, he was sorta shut down in his own way...but miserable? Please.

"Are we talking about the same person?"

"Fraid so, Phones. Anyway, there was one physical difference, and I think I mentioned it earlier. The kid had so many bruises and cuts that it looked like he'd been put into a tumble dryer filled with rocks. He had a bunch of bandaids all over his face as well...You had to wonder what this kid did in his spare time, but he was way too scrawny to go around starting brawls.

He hung around for a bit after that, hiding in the corner with a cuppa joe and a biscuit. To be honest, he was so quiet I kinda forgot he was there! A far cry from our current Joshua, eh?" Mr.H chuckled, taking a swig from his own brew before continuing. "It was when I was clearing the tables that I heard a second tidbit from our kid, who was staring intently out the window at the time. He mumbled something along the lines of 'They're not coming in after me...I wonder why?'

At this point I thought Josh was loony. I was getting all prepared to call the police; there's a kid hallucinating inside my café! But before I could grab the phone he abruptly stood up and walked out, shuddering violently as soon as he set foot outside. So I peeked out after him, and lo and behold Josh was possessed by a horde of Noise!"

"WHAT?!" Neku screeched, making the designer wince. "Is that even possible?!"

"Pipe down! Yeesh... remember that we're talking about when Josh was still human." That seemed to calm the ex-player down, much to Mr.H's relief. "Back on topic, I immediately assumed that the sheer number of Noise had taken their usual 'let's make this kid miserable' into 'let's drive this bloke insane'. And of course, since my café repels Noise, it explained why he felt like 'they' were waiting outside. His sanity returned once the Noise was off him."

"That's stupid. How could you possibly not realise he was talking about the Noise?"

"Gimme a break Phones, Josh is the only kid ever who could see Noise without being part of the game, at least the only one I'm aware of. It was common knowledge that it was impossible for any live human to see or be aware of the UG, so I'm afraid the possibility never crossed my mind. Now, if you've finished interrupting..." Neku took the hint and nodded, awkwardly waving for him to continue.

"Good. So anyway, I had a moment of compassion for the Noise-horde kid, so I stuck my head out the door and yelled at him."

"Wow, you showed some real compassion there, yelling at a possessed minor."

"Shut it, Phones. What I said was the important bit."

"Well, by all means, continue."

"I don't appreciate the sarcasm, kid. The gist of what I yelled was 'Oi_, I can see you aint feeling so hot, but if you ever wanna talk, or if you just feel like company, I'll keep a cuppa Joe waiting._' ...Or something along those lines. I forget. But it was then that I saw a miraculous thing."

"Like what?"

"I saw Joshua smile."

Neku just rolled his eyes, unimpressed with Mr.H's so-called miracle. So what; Joshua smiled all the time. Usually when he was plotting death or mocking something.

"So?"

"No, I don't think you understand." The designer insisted, making an effort to catch Neku's gaze. "I don't mean that smarmy grin he always wears, I mean an honest-to-God, happiness-displaying, _real_ smile."

"...Shit." As much as the teen hated to admit it, he was dumbstruck. Joshua...giving a true smile? Good God that would be a sight to behold. Neku found himself in awe, and just a little bit envious. The awkward questions from before suddenly reared up and Neku had to beat then back down with a mental stick, already knowing the answer but _like hell_ he was going to acknowledge it. Was he in denial? Yup, and he was going to stay there come hell or high water.

"Exactly." Mr.H nodded, satisfied that his point had been driven home. "He made an effort to drop by after that. I found out that his name was Yoshiya, that he had a fondness for word and logic puzzles, and that he was a real wiz with numbers. Looking back on it, I also started to see some of the real Joshua."

"What, all smug and obnoxious?"

"Nah." The designer shook his head. "I mean his dry sense of humour, those strangely polite yet witty remarks he's so fond of. Backhanded compliments and the like."

"I see. And?"

simply grinned, taking a draw of his coffee to relish in Neku's impatient tapping. Finally the teen could stand the forced silence no more.

"Fine, I'll bite. What happened next?"

"What happens next is that you go home, cause it's closing time."

"What?" A quick glance outside confirmed his suspicions; the street lights were on. "Shit!" He had homework to finish… Mr.H grinned at Neku's sudden panic, standing up to cheerfully slap him on the back.

"Aw, Don't worry! I'll tell you the rest of Josh's tale tomorrow. Now scram." He didn't need any further encouragement, Neku bolting out of that store faster than you could blink. Maybe Shiki would let him copy her maths out of pity again. Joshua would have to wait for another day.

**I feel like this is confusing. Sorry...**

**Crappy ending is Crap~ well, originally chapters 1 and 2 were the same chunk of writing, but I'm not gonna make you guys read though 5,000+ words at once. Please forgive the stupid split attempt! **

**Reviews are loved~ **


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, I'm going to clear something up now so I don't get angry hate PMs. **

**I have a friend who is mildly Schizophrenic. She was sent to a crappy doctor who diagnosed her with a more severe case than she actually had, and her prescription reflected this. Joshua's quote about the pills is actually a direct line from her once the matter was sorted up, but still, seeing her so shut down... I understand that sometimes they are necessary, but overdosing on them is horrible. Please don't hate me. **

**Um. Well, now that one matter is sorted, please enjoy the second half of the monster chapter! **

Here he was again. Sitting once more in the WildKat café, nursing a cup of coffee while Mr.H sat opposite. It was giving Neku a terrible sense of Déjà vu. Add that to the headache he earned by his math teacher biting his head off (damn Shiki, not letting him copy. 'Taking responsibility' my ass.), and you were left with a _very_ pissed off teen who was not in the mood to put up with any shit today. Of course, the designer picked up on it instantly and proceeded to be as annoying as possible.

Normally he couldn't get away with it. Except this time Neku needed information, and Mr.H was the only one that could provide it. So the ex-Player gritted his teeth and put up with the miraculous lack of his favourite coffee, the glass of water that was 'accidentally' spilled down his chest, he even lived through the crack about his fashion sense. However this. _This _was where he drew the line.

"…Come on, out with it." He growled, glaring across the table at the smug man opposite. "I don't have all day."

"…" The designer was struggling to hold back a grin as he stayed silent, casually sipping his coffee in an attempt to stay quiet and further aggravate Neku. It was working surprisingly well, he thought, he could almost see the steam coming out of his ears! True enough Neku was close to losing it, severely tempted to start pumping music through his headphones to calm down. He hadn't shut people out with music in a long time… but the option was becoming more and more attractive the longer the silence dragged on. But when the teen finally gave in and reached for his Walkman Mr.H sighed playfully and spoke.

"Could'a fooled me. But fine, I'll spill. Let's see… where were we up to?"

"Joshua started to become a regular at your café." Neku wasn't going to put up with any more delaying tactics, cutting in before the designer had a chance to drag his thoughtfulness out. The ploy was obvious, But Mr.H let it slide. He knew when to drop a joke.

"That's right! What came next was the rather minor happening of Josh stumbling in, dripping blood and sporting sizeable bruises. He could barely stand, poor kid."

"Wait, what?" Well, that was an abrupt start to the story. Was Mr.H _still_ messing with him?

"You heard me. He'd been beaten up."

"But, he's..." The idea of Joshua getting pummelled was incomprehensible to Neku. Sure, there were definitely people that wanted to sock him one, but he'd just laugh and show off his forcefield, or call light down from the sky, or teleport, or...

"You keep forgetting that back then, Josh wasn't the almighty Composer. He was just a scrawny kid that looked far too feminine for his own good." The designer sighed, swirling his coffee before continuing. "It was lucky there was no one else in the café at the time, otherwhise we woulda had quite a scene."

"That bad, huh..."

"Mhmm. Did I mention that he was crying?"

"WHAT."

"Obviously not. Well yeah, there was waterworks and everything. Silent tears though, no sobbing.

I took him back to a table, fussed over him for a bit while wiping up the blood. I offered to call his parents, and the level of resistance I got from him was...telling, to say the least. It was now that I sat down and said 'look Josh, I haven't asked questions the other times you've gained bruises, but this is just too far. Please just spill the beans or I'll have to call your parents.'"

"Wow. You seem to remember this rather well."

"So I should. It's not every day that roadkill peels itself off the side of the road and wanders into your shop."

"...Ouch." Neku winced just thinking about it. Obviously Joshua was in quite a state...

"Yeah. Anyway, he did."

"...What?"

"Spill the beans! Keep up, Phones! Joshua sniffled then told me everything!"

"Well then, tell me!" Neku was getting fed up with Mr.H's love of dramatic flair. Said designer just grinned, waving his mug for effect.

"Fine, fine. Turns out I wasn't the only one that thought Josh was nuts, almost everyone he knew shared my opinion. He was on meds and everything. In Joshua's own words, he 'saw things- things that couldn't exist'."

"Wait, so he-"

"Don't interrupt! He went on to tell me that his parents were rather...unsupportive, shall we say, and they had no clue how to deal with a child that wasn't completely sane. His Ma usually sobbed and screamed, while his Da just gave up on him, pretended he wasn't there. Hardly an environment that made you feel normal, eh?"

"I...wow."

"There's more. Josh told me that he'd been 'seeing things' for as long as he could remember, and, well... you know how you'll happily blurt out anything when you're little?"

"Oh my God, don't tell me...no no no." Neku murmured, already seeing where this was going and dreading it.

"Fraid so, Phones. Lil' Tyke Joshua would calmly go up and talk to people, complaining about the 'tattooed froggies'. Of course people just labelled it an overactive imagination. So they all just smiled and agreed, further convincing mini-Josh that it was all real."

"Hang on...tattooed froggies? Surely you must've picked up on that!" Mr.H simply grinned at Neku's half-shouted triumph.

"Yeah, that did set alarm bells off. I wasn't convinced though, it coulda just been coincidence..."

Neku was rather unimpressed with the designer's reasoning, to say the least, and wasted no time in telling him so.

"Really? You were that desperate to ignore the facts?"

"I'm a sceptic, so sue me. Anyway, as he got older people started to suspect that Josh thought his 'imaginings' were real, but nobody lifted a finger. The teachers thought his parents would deal with it, and his parents thought the opposite. Strangely enough, his 'imagined world' actually made him quite popular."

"Seriously?" Neku couldn't imagine anyone enjoying the idea of a game of death. Then he recalled the group of 7 year olds he saw running around the park trying to shoot eachother with finger guns, and suddenly the idea didn't seem so obscure after all.

"Oh yes. They all picked a 'tattooed creature' and went around pretending to eat the other ones."

"Huh. I thought they'd pretend to be Reapers."

"Actually Joshua couldn't see Reapers or Players at that point. His ability was still growing, so he could only see the lowest frequency of Noise, like Noise no.1. He couldn't see possessing Noise either.

So time went by, and when Joshie's 12th birthday rolled by everything started to go to hell for the kid. His friends grew older and got tired of his 'imaginings', his parents were getting more and more worried and to top it all off, Josh started to see Players." Mr.H paused to sigh at this point, glancing pointedly across the table at Neku. "All his trouble stemmed from this ability, so it's no wonder he's rather ruthless with 'em."

Neku didn't understand. So what; he started to see Players. If he could get away with seeing monsters for 12 years of his life, why should seeing people have such a devastating impact? His silence spoke volumes for him, causing Mr.H to sigh again.

"Obviously you don't get it. Fine, I'll spell it out for ya. Josh couldn't differentiate between the UG and the RG; to him they were one and the same. So he'd go up and talk to Players as you would to any other person, but everyone else would see him having a conversation with empty space. Do you get it now? It looked like he was hallucinating- and badly."

"Wait, he'd talk to players?"

"Yup, and this interaction made his imagination explode in power. Suddenly he could see Reapers, Game Masters, Erasures, possessions, you name it. He'd befriend Players just to see them Erased in front of him the next day, he'd see the noise possessing his miserable classmates, and all the while unable to see the difference between the two grounds. _Everyone_ was a target. _Everyone_ could be Erased, because he couldn't separate the two worlds to tell him otherwise. Do you understand, Phones? To him, _everyone_ was a Player."

Neku sat there, staring into his now empty mug as he processed this new information. Suddenly Joshua's twisted demeanour didn't seem so strange. Hell, if Neku lived his life knowing that invisible monsters could hijack people's emotions he'd probably end up in a loony farm, let alone if he saw people being erased from 12 years old. One question rose through his confused thoughts, slipping through his lips without his knowledge.

"How on earth did he get through it?"

"He was given an explanation that removed his constant fear. He was told that he was insane, that he could take a pill to remove it all." Mr. H stated simply, grunting in annoyance at the lack of coffee in his cup. "Of course, everything I've told you so far is tainted by the glasses of pre knowledge. The way Josh told it was that he was nuts and he knew it, and it was only when he started listing names that I made the connection.

Back on topic, 12-year-old Joshua did the first thing any kid does when they're scared shitless. He ran to his Ma. Needless to say, he was hauled to a shrink faster than you can say 'parental freakout'. Of course the guy had trouble diagnosing him, cause all he seemed to do was hallucinate. Eventually the guy copped out and forged a shoddy diagnosis of Schizophrenia." It was hard to miss the sudden bitterness in Mr.H's tone, and Neku had to wonder.

"You sound rather pissed off at this guy."

"Hell yeah I am." The designer continued with an angry swig of his mysteriously refilled coffee. "He put Josh on heavy meds that did jack shit, cause he wasn't actually loony. Josh spent 3 years in a fog because of that quack." He slammed his mug down and fixed Neku with a hard stare, unnerving the teen. He'd never seen Mr.H this serious about something…ever.

"Schizophrenia meds are horrible, Phones. In Joshua's own words: 'it feels like you're a prisoner in your own mind.' All your emotions are dulled to token levels and it's near impossible to care about anything. He had no motivation, no desire to do anything, really. If he was forced into action, he would do the bear minimum required. Josh trodded in once under the influence of the pills his Ma snuck into his food and lemme tell you, I have never seen anything so…un-Joshua. He looked me straight in the eyes and told me in this horrible monotone voice that he wished to die."

"…" Neku bit back strangely protective urges in favour of moody silence, unable to comprehend a Joshua that disconnected. It sounded like someone else, definitely not the giggly asshole he knew. Ugh, now he wanted to hit something…preferably a shrink.

"Of course Josh felt pretty miserable on the rare times he was off the drugs, and that's when the Noise got a hold on him. The worst part was, he could see the Noise that followed him around, he knew what they were doing, but he was powerless to stop it. He felt completely and utterly helpless. Word got out at school that he was nuts after he tripped over and spilled his meds everywhere, so of course he was hassled there. Quite badly, in fact.

Eventually he learnt how to avoid the medication by being careful what he ate, but the damage was done. He was possessed by a massive amount of Noise, everyone he called friend now avoided him or made an effort to make his life hell and he still couldn't tell what was in the RG or the UG. So he took the easiest option out."

"Wait…so he actually ki-"

"Don't jump to conclusions, Phones. How could've I learnt this through alive Joshua if he'd offed himself? No, he decided not to care. It was surprisingly easy for him, all he had to do was replicate how he'd felt on the pills. He found that if he acted like _everything_ was imagined then it didn't matter what he saw. So what if his classmate was possessed? So what if that kid was getting erased? He just shut everything out." Mr.H sent a pointed glance at Neku over the table, a cocky grin on his face. "Sounds familiar, don't it?"

Neku shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like being reminded of his rather…anti-social behaviour before the Game, but yet Mr.H delighted in bringing it up. Said man nodded, satisfied that his point had been driven home.

"But unlike the unnamed party over here, Josh didn't enjoy the emptiness that this attitude brought with it. He used to be quite social, you know. So to try and fight off the loneliness Joshie decided to go the other way and enjoy the suffering of others."

"What?! That makes no sense, even with Joshua's faulty logic!"

"Actually, if you think about it, it does. What better way to convince yourself that you're not miserable and alone if you take joy in what makes ya feel isolated?" The designer emphasised his point with a swirl of his brew, leaving Neku to stew over these disturbing details. So if Joshua deliberately felt no empathy and took joy in the pain of others, then that meant…

"He turned himself into a sociopath." He murmured under his breath, his discovery clicking like the final piece in a puzzle. Could you even do that? Neku thought you had to be born with it…

"Yup. And while generally people are born with it, there have been a few people who generate it themselves. Josh had a bit of help though; the Noise have been known to addle with peoples brains if they're left on their host for long enough."

"Okay, so Joshua's a sadist and not entirely well in the head. We know this already. So? What happened next?" Surprisingly, the ex-Players question was answered with a sigh.

"That's just it, Phones. I don't know."

"What? But you said…"

"I said I know _most_ of the story, but this segment is a mystery. Oh, I've tried to get it outta him, but he'll barely talk about his stint in the Game."

"Josh was a Player?" And of course directly after he said that Neku had to resist the urge to slap himself in the face for stating the bloody obvious. Of course Joshua was a Player, you couldn't become the Composer without at least entering the UG. Judging by the smirk on the designers face he found it rather amusing himself, So Neku hurriedly covered his embarrassment with another, less obvious question. "What on earth was his entry fee?" Once again, he was answered by sighing.

"Phones, if he won't even tell me what happened when he was a player, do ya really think he'd tell me what was most precious to him?"

"…Point taken."

"Good." An uneasy silence swamped the room, with neither party quite sure what to do with such an abrupt end to the conversation. Neku was just contemplating the least awkward way to take his leave when Mr.H groaned and cradled his head in his spare hand, startling the teen.

"Mr.H?"

"Ugh, I'm sorry kid. I do know a little bit more, but…I'm just not used to spilling Josh's secrets like this. I understand what you're trying to do, and Lord knows he needs a friend apart from me, but it just feels…wrong, ya know?" He mumbled it into the tabletop, and Neku wasn't quite sure whether he was meant to hear that or not. Nevertheless he pushed on.

"I do understand, Mr.H. But I really need to know. Please help me out." The designers mouth twitched into a sardonic smirk at that, and the teen was forced to admit that it scared him a little.

"I know, I know. I'll tell you, but it really is a tiny amount more. Pity it sparks so many questions…" Mr.H seemed to pull himself together, picking back up his coffee before flashing the ex-Player a grin. "Right! So, after a while Joshua just disappeared from my café."

"Disappeared?"

"Poof. Gone. Heard nothing for a couple'a years before he was reintroduced to me as the Composer of Shibuya. I never even saw him as a Reaper.

Eventually I managed to coax a couple of vague details about his time as a Player, but I'm warning ya, they raise more questions than answers. So no pestering me with puzzled outbursts, okay? Cause I don't know the solutions either." Neku nodded impatiently, waving the designer on.

"Heh. Fine, all I know is that Joshua met his partner before he joined the game, they were planning to take down the Composer together, but he betrayed his partner to get a head start up the promotional ladder. Oh yes, and his partner had fallen for him and they were in a relationship."

"WHAT?!" Neku knew he promised not to explode but _Godammit, _the idea of Joshua in a relationship just felt _wrong_. Those strange protective urges were back tenfold, and he had to struggle to refrain from running out into the street and punching this mysterious partner. Hard. Of course, his sudden aggressive tendencies only made it really hard for Mr.H not to laugh.

"Why, whatever's the matter Phones? It looks like you've been struck down with a bad case of jealousy~"

"Oh shut up, I just never thought Joshua was capable of being together in a romantic sense." That was a bald-faced lie, and both of them knew it. Thankfully the older man let it go, but not without a good chuckle at Neku's expense.

"Whatever ya say, Phones, whatever ya say." The designer took a swig of his now cold coffee, making the teens nose wrinkle up in disgust. He could never get how some people could drink cold coffee... blech.

"So now you know everything that I know. Whaddya gonna do about it?" That...was a good question. What _was_ he going to do? These thoughts plagued the ex-Players head as he slowly got to his feel, staring aimlessly at the wall beyond while he pondered.

"I take it by the blank look on your face that you have no clue." And as soon as Mr.H spoke up, Neku was struck by an idea. Of course, his entire plan was precariously balanced on one detail that he wasn't even sure if it was correct or not, but hey. It was worth a try.

"Actually, I do. But I need you to confirm something for me." Mr.H raised an eyebrow at that, but waved Neku on.

"Sure. What can I help ya with?"

"Did Joshua ever get his entry fee back?" And, seeing the blank look on the designer's face, Neku launched into a rather nervous explanation. "It's just that I was talking with Beat earlier, and we were wondering if he ever got his entry fee back. Of course it's back now, since it's Rhymes memories and all, but when he became a Reaper it's not like he could ask her and I'm pretty sure Joshua deliberately returned his fee once everything was said and done. I got mine back when I re-entered, but that's only because I became a player again and Beat never recalled anyone saying his entry free had been returned so-"

"No, no, I get ya." Mr.H chuckled, effectively shutting up the rambling teen. "And you're absolutely right. You don't get your entry fee back if you become a Reaper, it's returned to the RG. Nice idea Phones! I'd check his old house first, but his parents are still around. Good luck getting around that one." Neku simply grinned, already aware of a plan forming in the back of his mind.

"Oh, I think I'll find a way." he replied, easing himself up before heading for the door. He had a lot of work to do…

"Oi, Phones!" Mr.H's shout stopped him in his tracks. "Don't get yourself killed, yeah? Josh isn't as sane as you think he is. He's likely to react badly." Neku inwardly laughed at both the concern shown and the upcoming chance to show off. This'd throw Mr.H for a loop for sure! So he simply smiled and opened the door- without his hands.

"Don't worry mr.H, I haven't forgotten everything I learnt in the Game." And with that he was gone, flicking up his Psychokinesis pin as he went.

**I don't own. Simple. **

**Do you know how hard it is to concentrate on typing when there's a mini Josh and Neku running around your screen being adorable? Shimejis are the death of productivity, I tell you. **

**Please Review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Holy shit you guys, I was not expecting so much attention from this! Thank you so much~ **

**to the two guests that reviewed: Thanks! I'm glad it intrests you. Ziggy...that idea amused me far more than it should have. XD I totally picture Neku just bashing him over the head with signs whenever I'm feeling down now, picks me right up! ****Johua isn't going to spill so easily, and well...you'll see... :3 **

******This one's rather short, so two chapters for you. NO I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE A HABIT OF THIS. **

******I don't own~**

He had no idea what he was doing, really. Neku shifted uncomfortably in his school uniform as he stood in front of Kiryu's front porch, seriously contemplating bailing and finding another was to lure out Joshua into the open when the front door opened.

"Yes? Can I help you?" Neku froze, completely unprepared for the beautiful woman who opened the door. Well, at least he knew where Joshua got his hair from... After wasting a few valuable seconds floundering around in a panic he eventually looked who he assumed was Joshua's mother in the eye, took a deep breath, and spoke.

"Er, sorry! My name is Neku Sakuraba, is this where Joshua lives?" The woman's face changed so quickly that he could swear that she'd morphed into an entirely different being. What on earth had he got himself into?

"Did one of the local kids put you up to this?" Her words were sharp and harsh. Joshua's Mom was scary... Biting back a stab of fear, Neku forced a startled look onto his face and prayed his acting skills were up to scratch.

"Wha- no! I was friends with Josh in primary school, but then I moved away and since I was in the area I thought..." Neku let the question trail off, before replacing his surprise with calculated worry. "Why? Has something happened to him?"

Suddenly Joshuas Mother just looked so tired, her pretty eyes outlined with bags and a deep set unhappiness. Hell, it was a miracle the Noise hadn't found her yet.

"I'm so sorry Neku…My son died a few years ago. The local kids have made a horror story out of it, so I thought…" The woman choked up as she stared at the ground, before startling Neku by flicking her head up and showing no trace of the sorrow that wracked her earlier. "Right! Oh, you poor dear, you must be distraught. Why don't you come inside for a while, hmm?" He barely had time to blink before he was ushered through the door.

"Dear! We have a guest! It's one of Joshua's old friends!" Her cheery call was answered with silence. "Oh my…I'm sorry." Mrs. Kiryu flashed Neku an apologetic smile, wavy hair whipping behind her. "He doesn't like to remember Joshua…it's very painful for him."

"I still can't believe he's dead…" this was murmured entirely for 's sake, and Neku felt horrible for using her like this. She wasn't acting at all like how Mr. H described… His father was though, and he was already penciled in as a massive prick.

"I know, I didn't want to accept it either, but life goes on." She spoke whimsically, as if Josh's death was but a mere trifle. In her life, Neku supposed it was. He had no idea how long Josh had been dead for after all…

"So come, sit! You must tell me how you knew my son!"

…_Shit._

Neku suddenly broke out in a cold sweat as he realized just how little he'd thought this through, he didn't even have a backstory for God's sake! He'd already seen how angry this woman could get, how was he supposed to wing something as important as this? Needless to say, Neku approached the table with trepidation.

"Um. I don't really-"

"Oh, don't be shy! It'll be refreshing to talk to someone who doesn't believe in that silly old rumor." Joshua's mother laughed, regarding Neku with a kind smile. She must really care for Josh… Fighting back another stab of guilt, the teen decided to stick as close to the truth as possible.

"Well…he was always smiling, that's for sure." Neku decided to admit the fact that they were more like smirks. "And he was constantly fiddling around with something or another. He had a mobile, right?"

"Yes, we gave him his Dad's old phone quite early on. He'd developed a habit of wandering off without telling us!" Mrs. Kiryu paused to sigh, but her exhale sounded more fond than exasperated. "He would even drag other kids along, the poor dears. He didn't seem to grasp that not everyone was interested in the same stuff he was, though it didn't help that he could usually convince them to like it!" Neku didn't doubt this for an instant. One look at Josh's insistence to drag him _absolutely everywhere_ during the second week was confirmation enough.

"Yeah, that sounds like him."

"Hehe. I remember when my son went through a Tin Pin phase, he bullied other kids into playing against him and they'd leave the match raving fans!" She laughed quietly, gazing absently into the tabletop, as she got lost in her memories. It gave Neku a chance to examine the woman further.

She had Joshua's hair, right down to the ringlets, and the same delicate skin that reminded him of porcelain. Even their eyes were the same… in fact, Mrs. Kiryu looked exactly like a middle-aged female Joshua.

"…Oh, silly me! I'm sorry I didn't mean to daydream. Please continue, Neku dear."

…He could also see where Joshua got the habit of calling him 'Dear'.

"Okay then...erm, what else? He was really picky about food. I remember once that he ate some Ramen that tasted horrible, and he calmly stood up and slapped the cook across the table. Accused him of crimes against food and everything." Neku found himself grinning at the memory. Sure, it was embarrassing as hell, but the look of absolute distain on Joshua's face and surprised fury on the chefs were so bloody brilliant! The Composer had to drag him out of the restraint when they were forced to leave, he was laughing that hard. It was made all the more hilarious when the place closed down the day afterwards. Take that, Shadow Ramen.

"Really? My, my…" Joshua's mother laughed. "I never knew my son was such a foodie! I do apologize if this caused you any trouble."

"Not at all Mrs. Kiryu, it was rather fun."

And that alone struck Neku as odd. With all the… unpleasant revelations about the second week, why did he still regard it as fun? Hmm, that was something that he would have to ponder about when he wasn't busy deceiving Joshua's mother.

"I'm glad. It's nice to hear that someone has such happy memories of my son…" She trailed off, staring at the table with a ghost of a smile on her face. Finally she looked back up and the resignation Neku saw in her frame sent alarm bells ringing in her head. Nothing good ever came from someone wearing that look…

"May I ask you a favor, Neku dear?"

"Of course."

"Can you never come here again?"

Well, he certainly wasn't expecting _that_. He almost asked her to clarify, until he saw the deadly serious light in her eyes.

"Uh…_why?_"

"I'm trying to forget Joshua. After you left there were some complications with my son, and I didn't know how to handle it. I still don't. It got to the point that after he died, I…I was relieved." Mrs. Kiryu slipped into a broken smile, her lips wavering. "What kind of mother is relieved their child is dead? That's why…that's why I want to forget. Because if I don't remember him, I won't feel glad that he's gone."

Mrs. Kiryu's logic seemed all too familiar to a certain Composers and Neku was struck with the roundabout correctness of it all. If she forgot, she wouldn't feel guilty. If he took joy in watching others suffer, he wouldn't feel so alone. It was all so crazy it made sense.

"But…why did you let me in at all then?" Neku questioned, glimpsing for the first time what life would've been like for Joshua: all insane logic and panicked decisions. Mrs. Kiryu just smiled faintly at the query.

"I wanted my last memories of Joshua to be happy, to focus on the good rather than the bad. I wasn't able to do that, you know. But now… I remember him as the grinning darling he used to be. So, I must ask you to leave so that this new, positive image of my son can sink into my brain and disappear." She paused to study her guest, eyeing him for a few seconds before making her decision and reaching into her pocket.

"I know I'm asking a lot, so here. This is yours." And with that she brought out a beautiful bronze pocket watch. Neku's breath caught in his throat and he _knew_, in the same way that certain people in 104 caught his eye and he just _knew_ that they were players, that this was Joshua's entry fee.

"It was incredibly precious to him, and I hope it can make up for his life you missed. Joshua couldn't sleep without it…" Mrs. Kiryu seemed to confirm his observations, her eyes glazing over slightly before she shook it off and shoved the forgotten entry fee into Neku's eager hands.

"I'm sorry Neku dear, but I'm going to ask you to leave now." He just nodded absently, focusing all his attention on the bronze piece cradled in his palms. He'd done it…he'd done it! Neku barely noticed as he was ushered to the door, and it was only as it was closing behind him that he realized he was missing one vital piece of information.

" ! Wait!" He fumbled out, desperately willing the door to open and breathing a sigh of relief when it hesitated in its relentless retreat.

"Please, one more thing. I want to visit Joshua's grave." Neku's unspoken question was met with silence before a tiny voice answered, sounding gloomy and so very _tired_.

"He's at Shibuya graveyard, row E. Goodbye, Neku." With that the door clicked shut, leaving the teen staring at empty space. One hand was clutched tightly around the pocket watch, its soothing tick-tick his only companion in the silence.

"Thank you, Mrs. Kiryu. Goodbye." Neku's farewell lingered behind him as he strode back into the Scramble, determination in his eyes as the crowd immediately swallowed him. He had a friend to visit in row E.

**Reviews are adored~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heeeeeeeeere's Joshua! :D**

**I do not own TWEWY. **

Joshua hovered over his old house, dispersing the last of the Noise with a precise wave of his hand. That took care of one chore. He didn't know why he still bothered, it's not like he held any attachment to the woman he once called 'mother.' Old habits die hard, he supposed. So even though he was so desperate to forget his spell in the RG, Joshua still showed up once a month and erased the Noise that latched onto the woman who gave him life. And helped drive him out of it, but that was a moot point.

He breezed past their window, sparing a disinterested glance for his biological father. Sitting at his desk, as always... Numerous bottles littered the space around his office, and while Joshua was once too young to understand he now fully comprehended his father's sudden withdrawal. Seems like nothing had changed since he'd left, as it had been every time the Composer had bothered to drop by. Satisfied and feeling strangely bitter with their lack of change, Joshua floated off, suspended by the song of Shibuya. He supposed that it was rather ironic that his parents own unchanging misery was a vital component in Shibuya's rhythm section…

A sudden riff caught the Composer by surprise, the deep, relaxing notes something he hadn't heard since-

_Neku._

But what on earth was his Proxy doing? His house was on the other side of Shibuya, he had no reason to come all the way out here. He couldn't possibly be visiting a friend, they all lived in the more central areas. So why?

Joshua bit his tongue as he zoned in on the soothing melody, trying to locate its source so he could avoid it. Dealing with Neku was frustrating, much easier to just ignore him and his constant waiting, waiting for someone who was never going to come. Honestly, he thought Neku would've moved on by now, he'd made it very clear he wasn't showing up...yet his Proxy still sat at Hachiko, his head bobbing slightly to his music. Joshua used to watch him. He used to sit, invisible, next to Neku, indulging his selfish need for company until he realized he was actually feeling guilty for leaving him alone. Imagine that, the Composer pining over a tool! So now he went out of his was to avoid his ex-partner, and whenever he heard those familiar calming notes on the score of Shibuya he'd whisk himself off into the sky.

The sounds were unusually hard to pin down, which was odd considering they hadn't moved since he noticed them. What human could stand completely still for that period of time? Not Neku, that's for sure. Curiosity started to gnaw at the back of Joshua's mind as the notes twisted around him, almost as if they were luring the Composer onwards. What was truly troubling was that Joshua was strangely okay with indulging it. He did miss screwing around with his Proxy, after all...and he was mildly interested in his sudden appearance outside of the few sectors he frequented.

Joshua sighed and grudgingly nodded at the notes drifting lazily around him, his signal to himself that yes, he was going to check this mysterious Neku-related disturbance and yes, he was probably making a stupid decision. With this now settled firmly in his mind, Joshua floated off in search of Neku.

He _had not_ expected this.

Joshua stared numbly at the slab of concrete and the name, _his name_, engraved into its weathered surface. Why...why was the signal _here_?! Neku was nowhere to be seen in this silent graveyard, the only splash of color was the stark white of the envelope laid under his headstone.

The Composer did nothing else but stare, unable to comprehend (or maybe just unwilling to) why on earth he hadn't bolted out of here yet. He hated it here. Joshua prided himself on not truly hating anything, but this was the exception to his rule. Everything that happened here was linked to tears, from his body being slowly lowered into the ground, the only one upset himself as a hand uneasily slipped into his, a weak attempt at comfort mumbled into his hair and the only thought running through his head was _I'm going to kill you_-

Stop that right now.

Joshua suddenly realized that he was panicking, shudders wracking his small frame as emotions crept up on him. He had to calm down, to _breathe_ because he was okay, he was okay. Memories flooded his mind, his imagination-powered brain bringing them back as vividly as real life and oh God why couldn't he forget! A shaky hand ran jerkily through his hair, watching the individual strands fall back into place as he tried to convince himself that the past few seconds weren't a mental break, that his old therapist wasn't correct and he was perfectly sane, he was!

"...I need to leave." Joshua muttered to himself, glaring at his palm to stop the trembles. And ever so slowly, it did. A self-satisfied smile spread across his face, he was back in control. He was Yoshiya Kiryu, the all-mighty Composer, and all of Shibuya bent to his will! He almost laughed at his pathetic behavior earlier. A momentary lapse in judgment, he reasoned, a rare moment of insanity. After all, it was just a gravestone. A _stupid, crumbling, horrible_ gravestone that should _burn in hell_ before standing before him. This piece of stone had some nerve! Acting entirely on impulse Joshua flicked his hand forward, sending a shockwave that blew off the top corner of the tombstone and sent it spinning across the yard.

"...Ha..."

Good lord that was so _satisfying_, so he did it again, and again, blowing bits of stone fare and wide.

"Ha ha...ha! ha ha ha!"

Nobody could stop him, nobody wanted to! The only remnant of himself in the RG was being smashed to smithereens and nobody cared! Oh, it was so bloody _brilliant_. A particularly vengeful wave upwards saw the stone exploding, bits of rubble flying everywhere and leaving a thin ditch in its wake. He was so close to destroying this place, and he advanced on the ruins with a broad smile on his face and-

What on earth was he doing?

Joshua yanked his hand back, clutching it close to his chest as he stared at the mess he had made of his own grave. No no no, he thought he was past this. He _is_ past this. So why had he gone on a rampage? Stupid, Joshua, stupid. Now he'd have to fix this, lest someone asked questions. The Composer sighed and gestured at the pieces to come together, no trace of emotion on his face except boredom. This was such a pain...

Ugh, and this was why he should think logically. If he'd followed through on his rational thoughts he wouldn't be here, but noooo. He had to chase after Neku. Joshua wrinkled his nose in distaste as the rubble clicked together, rebuilding his headstone bit by bit behind him and unearthing the envelope he'd only vaguely noticed earlier. Come to think of it, he didn't remember anyone leaving any letters.

A sneaking suspicion bloomed in the corner of his mind, and one check of Shibuya's musical score confirmed his theory. The letter hummed with Neku's resonance. Well then... what was he supposed to do with this now?

It really shouldn't be a problem; he'd already agreed to tell the small part of him that cried out to open it to go fuck itself. But he'd already come all this way, it'd just be a colossal waste of time if he left empty handed. And how on earth had Neku managed to replicate his resonance? There were ways, but the teen shouldn't have access to any of them. In fact, that alone should classify this letter as a security breach and his duty as Composer meant he had to take it.

So Joshua resigned himself to his fate, ignoring the smug little voice that pointed out that he'd just reasoned himself into opening it and tore it open with as little interest as he could muster. Might as well get this over with.

_Dear Joshua (because I know it's you, don't lie),_

_I'd ask how you've been, but I know you. So I'll just assume that you're smug, giggling and plotting some new way to bring doom on us all. Oh, and I'll just get this out of the way. Thank Mr. H for my replicated resonance._

_I'll just get straight to the point. I missed you. Stupid, I know, but I did. I still do. So I went looking for you. You're an asshole, by the way, for not saying hi at Hachiko when I know you were there. It's kinda why I kept waiting. Did you know I can sense when something's from the UG? Normally it only works if I can see it in the Real Ground, but when someone with a vibe as high as yours comes and sits down next to me it's hard not to notice._

(Joshua had to pause here as the revelation of 'shit, he knew' hit him like a ton of bricks, and he allowed a slight break in his pride to bury his face in his palm in embarrassment before continuing.)

_I'm getting off topic. Basically, I asked around about you. And I can already picture the smug look on your face as you read this, stop it. It's because I consider you a friend, dumbass._

(Another pause, because Neku considered him a _friend_?! After all the hell he put him through... Joshua took up the letter with sudden, frenzied desperation, all attempts at nonchalance thrown to the wind.)

_So I found out. I talked to Mr. H, and to your Mother. But I'm not going to dwell on it, you know why? Because screw you. I'd figured it out from almost the moment we'd met, but you went out of your way to mess with it. All I did during my search was confirm what I thought I knew. So while half of me wants to tear into you for being a dick, the other half completely understands your reasoning. After all, I felt the same way myself. But God knows how long it took me to realize and get over it (three weeks in a deadly game, in fact), so I don't think I can rely on implications to help me here._

_Fine. Here we go, with a little added flavor from my investigation. I'm not like your other Partner. You've backstabbed me twice, I'm still alive and I'm gunning after you, Josh. Stop running away. I'm not out to hurt you, and for some stupid reason I don't think you're actually out to hurt me. I'm just somebody that you've become attached to, a weakness. Isn't that right? You're damn scared that I'll end up hurting you, or worse, that you'll end up hurting me. So you want me gone._

_Here's where I'd like to say that its stupid reasoning and that you're an idiot for thinking so, but I can't really talk about that. So I'll just repeat: Stop running away. Do I need to repeat it? I __miss__ you. You freaking killed me twice and I still miss you, I doubt there's anything you can do to make me hate you after that. I'll say it again, because I think you need to hear it._

_I_

_miss_

_you._

_Do you get it yet? You're not gonna hurt anyone by existing, so for the love of all that is holy get your ass over here. Being alone sucks, I should know. So stop choosing to be._

_Anyway, I'm running out of paper to write this on, so I'll wrap this up the same way I did when the game first ended. I may not have forgiven you, but I still trust you. And now I'm that much closer to forgiving you. I'm meeting with my friends today in front of Hachiko. See you there?_

_Neku Sakuraba_

_PS: I got you something. I had to go through a bunch of shit to get it, so you better be bloody grateful._

Joshua gripped the paper until his knuckles turned white, the implications flooding him like a dizzying tidal wave. He...he _knew_. Neku -_fucking_-Sakuraba knew everything and had dug straight into his core, casually poking his self built walls. And, and he...

_I miss you. So stop running._

Reality seemed to shatter around him as every emotion he'd carefully stored away crashed headlong into Joshua, feeling happy-sad-lonely-miserable-mad-desperate-trapped-jealous-annoyed-

Happy that Neku waited, somebody wanted to stay with him, sad that he knew Neku had to go, lonely because he had to stay by himself no matter what, miserable because-

_Stop-stop-STOP!_

Hands bunched up in his hair as he tried to calm down, to seal everything back away because he didn't want to feel, he didn't want to feel! Emotions just hurt because everyone left; everyone ran away and left him with feelings that burnt because they were _gone_. That's why the letter hurt, it was hot to the touch because ultimately Neku would stop waiting, which was what Joshua wanted except that he really didn't and ARGH!

Joshua hadn't even realized that he'd thrown the letter, but the paper and its envelope were sailing through the air and wait, what on earth was falling out of it? A flash of bronze was all he saw before it thumped into the dirt, creating a little hole. Joshua didn't know why he went for it, it was stupid and only meant more chaos but he reached for it anyway. When he pulled it out, heard the familiar tick-tock and felt the soothing curves of his old entry fee his breath stopped. No...surely not. Surely Neku wouldn't go to such lengths to...

_I miss you._

Suddenly Joshua wasn't the Composer anymore, he was a scared little twelve year old who saw things that weren't there but this time someone was reaching out to him, offering to provide the company he'd craved since the day he was diagnosed. It was all too much.

Did...did Neku know what Joshua did to the last people who got close to him? He killed them. He killed _all_ of them. Everything hurt. They were all going to betray him anyway, with their false interest that faded as soon as he was in trouble, so he stopped them from hurting him. With a bullet. But he was stupid, he couldn't stop himself getting attached so either way it was painful, so painful! Wasn't... wasn't it easier to just ignore them? To laugh at their pain and not get involved? To giggle at the blood, because it was what they deserved! So why...why wouldn't Neku let him do that?

He wasn't supposed to care for Neku. He was supposed to use him before disposing him with a swift shot to the head. He had it all planned out, and then he could destroy this city filled with people wearing masks, only pretending to give a damn. But Neku... he wasn't supposed to be so similar. He was supposed to be some preppy brat that Joshua could happily plug full of lead and skip away smiling. He tried to kill him, he really did. But was this what happened when he let dear people live? They came back and wouldn't leave him alone, pestering him and making him feel even more hurt?

_So why don't you just kill him for good?_

Joshua froze as the thought drifted lazily through his mind, curling around his head as he stared at his hand. That...that was what was wrong. This whole thing, the violent attack of feelings that he had tried so hard to seal away, was all because Neku was alive. If he died, would this stop? If he wasn't here to chase, then Joshua couldn't feel guilty. Neku, as a person, _hurt_. So he had to die.

Almost instantly Joshua shut down, that one thought becoming his tool to bottle up all the loneliness and redirect it as the much more familiar hate. The shudders stopped as he slowly rose to his feel, face blank except for a glint of feral malice in his eyes.

"Hee hee... Oh Neku, _dear_, you're so silly. Now I have to kill you." The eerie giggle was accompanied by Joshua's gun being slid out of his pocket, the metallic sheen of the barrel glinting just like his old pocket watch. Had he snapped? Yes, and it made plugging his old proxy full of lead _far_ easier. Should he shoot him in front of his friends? It would be amusing to see Neku _dear's_ face when he heard the anguished cries of his partners... And then, once he was dead, Joshua would erase him in the game by drowning him in Noise. Oh yes, this was sounding more appealing by the minute.

With a grin that shouldn't be seen on any sane person's face Joshua strolled out of the graveyard, head held high. Well, he couldn't keep Neku _dear_ waiting! He had a date with his gun, after all.

**I hope Josh's snap was believable. XD **

**Reviews are adored!**


	5. Chapter 5

**New chapter for you! The figurative calm before the storm... **

**I forgot to credit the amazing GintaXAvlissForever for betaing chapters 3, 4 and 5! Sankyuu very much! **

**I don't own. **

Neku slid through the door to the Wildkat café, laughing as Beat's angry shouts slowly gained on him. It was about time that he beat his friend in a race! Of course, now that he'd won Beat would make up some excuse, but it didn't really matter. Neku's training had paid off!

"…Phones! Not…not cool, yo!" Beat huffed as he leant on the doorframe, his voice an octave higher than usual.

"You're just sore that I beat you."

"You kicked me in the junk and ran! How's that fair, yo?"

"Tactics, Beat, tactics."

"I still say it's cheatin'! Rhyme, back me up here! That's cheatin', right?"

Rhyme responded to her brother's plea with a breathless giggle, catching up to the boys with a fond smile.

"I dunno Bro, Neku makes a convincing argument."

"Bwaaa! Rhyme! What gives?" Beat cried, flailing at his sister in a vain attempt to change her mind.

"Sorry, I call it like I see it! Neku wins!"

"Hah! Pay up Beat, I won. No more free coffees for you." The buff teen simply groaned and slouched over to a table, half-heartedly flipping Neku the bird.

"…Shut up, man…"

Of course, Neku was far too busy gloating to pay him much mind. He couldn't wait to tell the girls…speaking of girls, where were they?

"Hey, Rhyme. Where are Shiki and Eri?"

"Oh, they're coming. Can't you hear them outside?"

As she spoke the young blonde led him to the window, flashing him an amused grin as phrases slowly drifted by.

"…So keep moving!"

"Do you know…how hard…it is…to run…IN THESE SHOES?!"

"YES! I had to fight Noise in those boots, so suck it up and run! Everyone's already there by now!"

Yep, they were here alright. Neku had to hide his smile as the girls finally appeared, Shiki almost pushing Eri along as the redhead shrieked in protest.

"Shikiiiii! Stop shoving!"

"Only when you start moving!"

"Evening, girls. Glad you finally decided to grace us with your presence." Neku greeted them with a smirk, ignoring the death glare this earned from Eri. It was too much fun to mess with them, their reactions was always over the top. Sure enough Shiki mimicked her best friends glare, casually pushing up her wire frame glasses.

"Oh shut it Neku, we didn't take _that_ long." She huffed, idly picking at a loose thread on Mr. Mew. "Besides, you're late more often than us! Why, just last week we had to wait half an hour for you to show up!" Neku didn't have an answer to that.

"Yeah, well. I won the race, for once." The three of them walked to the table where Beat and Rhyme currently sat, Rhyme waving them over with a smile.

"How on earth did you manage that? You're so scrawny!" Eri topped off her blunt surprise by tugging at Neku's shirt, tutting at the lack of flesh she felt before she was batted away. Eri could be kinda weird... but Shiki had assured him that it was just the way Eri was, so he put up with her occasional spurts of odd.

"Oh, thanks. I'm not that skinny..." He mumbled, but by the look on Eri's face he knew she disagreed.

"Hun, you have a figure that _I_ would be jealous of."

"...I'm getting coffee…Mr. H! What kind of barista ignores his customers?" Neku's call was answered with a chuckle behind the counter, Mr. H's hand lazily waving at them.

"Waaaay ahead of ya, Phones. Come'n get it!" But as the teen headed up to get his brew Mr.H leaned forward and casually whispered in his ear.

"So how ya fairing? Did'ja get your hands on Josh's entry fee?" He murmured, and Neku nodded once in response. "Brilliant! Good on ya Phones! I hope ya put it to good use." That...was what Neku wasn't so sure about. For all he knew Joshua could've just missed it completely! And what if he decided not to read the letter? What if he simply got mad? What if...

"...Phones, _please_ stop makin' that face. It hardly fills a guy with confidence. I had to put my butt on the line to replicate your resonance, the least you can do is look happy about it." Neku hastily wiped the troubled look off his face as he took his coffee, rejoining the others rather gloomily. Dammit, now Mr.H had got him worrying…

"There you are, you cheatin' bastard! Get over here an' explain yourself!" Ah, blessed distraction. Thank you kindly, Beat. Neku simply smiled at his friends demand, nerves shoved aside as he sauntered over at a pace deliberately chosen to be irritating.

"What seems to be our issue?"

"Don't gimme that crap, yo! You're gonna admit that you cheated right here!" At least he wasn't the only one amused by Beats outburst. Shiki was muffling her giggles behind Mr. Mew, Eri wasn't bothering to hide her laughter and even Rhyme was biting back a smile at her brother's antics. With an audience that receptive, it would almost be a shame _not_ to poke fun at the gangster teen's determination.

"Oh really? I don't remember doing anything of the sort. Do explain how I've wronged you." Neku's singsong mockery was almost impossible to miss, but yet Beat flew right over it.

"Eh? You got a short-term memory or somethin'? You kicked me in the junk before takin' off! It hurt, yo!" He almost choked up at the end, like a mourner at a funeral delivering their final speech. Neku, being the insensitive bastard he is, found this hilarious. Beat could be such a pussy at times! He didn't kick him _that_ hard, but yet here Beat was, playing it up like it was world war three.

"Nope, I'm drawing a total blank at that, but I do remember you shrieking like a girl…"

"Th, that was because you kicked me!"

"Do I need to repeat it? Tactics, Daisukenojo dear, _tactics_."

"Bwaaa! Now you're jus' makin' stuff up…" Beat shouted, slumping at the unsympathetic response he got. "Man…now you sound jus' like Prissy Kid…" His sentence dissolved into a yelp as he was instantly kicked under the table by three different legs.

"Beat! Shut up!" Shiki's hiss was backed up by a killer glare from both Eri and Rhyme, though the best Rhyme could manage was mild disapproval. It amused Neku more than anything else. Odd, considering that usually the mention of his ex-partner made him go silent and brood for a bit. Obviously having a plan could have a wondrous effect on your temperament.

"I'm not _that_ sassy. Hell, I don't know if anyone else could be!" Neku's cheerful statement caused multiple jaws to drop, much to his annoyance. Oh come on, he wasn't that bad… was he? God, he hoped not. The last thing he wanted was the others to think that he was moping over Joshua. Ugh, there was nothing more pathetic. Neku only waited because he _knew_ Joshua would come back, not out of some pining need. He wasn't a kicked puppy! Rhyme must've picked up that he was offended though as she suddenly cut in, smoothly saving the conversation.

"I dunno, Eri can be pretty cutting at times. Did you ever end up apologizing to that poor woman?" Almost immediately Eri rose to the bait, slapping her palm on the table in outrage.

"I regret nothing! If you're gonna wander around in both J of the M _and_ Wild Boar then you deserve everything that comes to you." She paused her rant to suck in much needed air, letting out a frustrated noise somewhere between a sigh and a growl before launching off again. "Honestly, simply wearing J of the M is bad enough. Blech! It's revolting just to think of it!" Eri emphasized her point with a dramatic gagging motion, ignoring Shiki's muffled laughter behind her and the worried look this earnt from Neku. Shiki only laughed like that when she was plotting something…

"Ooh, watch what you're saying Eri, Neku here's a hardcore J of the M fan. You might wound his hipster pride~"

He was going to strangle Shiki, he really was. His desire to maul her only increased when Eri rounded on him like a wounded bull, eyes glinting with a very dangerous light as she stared him down. God help him.

"What?! Neku! I know you're the least fashion aware out of all of us, but I expect better from you! Ooh, you're poor body… Don't worry, Mama Eri's here to save you! I promise I won't let mean ol' Neku defile you ever again!" The last few words were crooned to Neku's abdomen as she latched herself around his waist, sympathetically stroking his hips while shooting their owner a glare that could freeze hell over. At least, she did, before she was shoved off rather quickly by a certain creeped out teen. Seriously, who actually _did_ that to people?! Apparently Eri, taking the separation in her stride before whirling around once again. He'll repeat it; he was going to strangle Shiki.

"Honestly…apart from the fact that it's _hideously disgusting_, J of the M doesn't suit your personality at all. You require something dark! Mysterious! Something that represents your angsty tendencies! Lapin Angelique! I hereby demand that you toss your old wardrobe in favor of bondage coats and ripped trousers!" Eri cried, waving her hands as if she was performing on a stage.

Neku was tempted not to respond to that at all. He liked J of the M, dorky or no. Besides, Lapin Angelique reminded him of a certain pale-haired Composer who used to delight in making him feel awkward by showing up in various Angelique dresses. Speaking of…

"Oi, I'd like you guys to wait with me at Hachiko today." Neku spoke calmly, completely ignoring Eri's cry of 'Don't avoid the subject!' in favor of focusing on the others startled expressions. It didn't matter if they came with him really, but… he wanted them there. Now he just had to convince them.

"Huh? You _still_ waitin' on Prissy kid? He's not gonna show up, yo- ouch!" Beat once again dissolved into shouts of pain as his shin was assaulted by a particularly vicious kick from Rhyme. While he appreciated the sentiment, Neku really didn't think Beat could take much more abuse. He was going to end up with a nasty bruise at this rate! Besides, he was fine. Though it would take a miracle to convince Shiki of that, judging by the look she gave him.

"Neku...I know you don't want to think about it, but..."

"Look, I know, okay? But I've been doing some stuff, pulling some strings. I really think he'll show up soon." Surprisingly enough, Rhyme responded to Neku's admission first.

"I see. Does this have anything to do with your visit to the graveyard?" Her quiet question caught the teen off guard. How the hell did Rhyme find out these things? Said girl simply smiled at him, all warm and knowing. "Okay then. I'll wait with you, but on one condition. I'll stay for one week, but after that you've gotta give up on this relentless chasing. It's not healthy, Neku. Do we have a deal?"

He pondered this for a second before nodding, fully confident that Joshua would show up. And if he didn't, well... Rhyme was probably right. He doubted that there could be anything else he could do to win the Composer over anyway.

"Deal." Neku turned to the rest of his companions, imploring silently with each of them. "How about you guys? Will you come on Rhyme's terms?"

"...All right. But you better drop this constant waiting at the end of the week."

Shiki warned, fiddling with Mr. Mew instead of meeting Neku's gaze. He simply nodded, realizing this was the best he was going to get out of her before turning to Beat.

"Ah man, don't stare at me like that, yo... Fine, I'll come. Though you gotta buy me free coffees again!"

Neku snorted at that. Beat would always find a way to shift the bill, so nothing new there. He'd even started budgeting it in when he worked with his allowance!

"WELL! I, for one, am very excited to meet this kid! He sounds rather fabulous." Eri claimed as she flopped onto Shiki, head resting on her best friends shoulder and arms wrapping around her waist. Of course this was normal for her, so Shiki simply giggled and tilted her head, regarding the redhead fondly.

"Mm, from what I've heard you two would get on swimmingly."

"Wait...if you've never met Prissy Kid, why on earth didja kick me when I brought him up? You don' even know why that's bad, yo!"

Beat's cry was met with a brilliant smile from Eri, auburn hair trailing gently behind her.

"Because everyone else did! It's fun to watch you squirm." Neku laughed softly at this, gazing at his ragtag group in amusement. They were part of the reason he felt safe waiting for Joshua. Because no matter what happened, they were going to be there for him.

"Come on, you lot, Hachiko awaits."

**Poor Beat. But we all know he acts as their punching bag anyway. **

**Reviews are incredibly modivating and loved.**


	6. Chapter 6

**So here we are, where the shit hits the fan. I hope everyone seems in character... still. Enjoy! **

**Many thanks to GintaXAvlissForever for betaing this for me and pointing out an early flaw. You really helped! **

**I do not own TWEWY.**

Hachiko was crowded as always, the crowds of incessant chatter almost drowning out Eri's excitement. Almost. Neku liked her, but it was starting to get on his nerves…she didn't even know Joshua, but wherever Shiki went Eri would follow, and her enthusiasm was catching. He couldn't think of any other reason as to why Beat was as pumped up for this as he was. Currently he was shouting his excitement at Rhyme, the poor dear. Beat in full flight was certainly a sight to behold…though Neku doubted his younger sister appreciated it, given she was the one tasked with calming him down. Just throw some food at him, and that would shut him up…Neku tore his thoughts away from Beat's eating habits to scan the crowd once more, feeling a terrible sense of Déjà vu as he searched for something, anything…but nothing was there.

"Dammit…"

"Having second thoughts?" Shiki's quiet question caught him off guard. He wasn't supposed to show his uncertainty; the only reason everyone was here was because he'd been one hundred percent sure that Joshua would show up. While at the time he was firmly convinced, now that he was actually here doubts were gnawing at his mind faster than Eri devouring chocolate. Neku had to fight back a twitch of annoyance at the thought. Damn genetics…there had been many a time where Neku had been stuck with a simple salad while she happily munched on anything she wanted, relying on her high metabolism to figure things out. He certainly wasn't jealous of that though…but seriously what kind of guy was concerned by his weight? Then again his outfit would look terrible if he was pudgy...

"You in there?" Shiki was waving Mr. Mew in Neku's face in a vain attempt to attract her friend's attention, huffing at the glazed look in his eyes. "Argh! Stop spacing out, Neku!" Said boy let out a startled yelp as he was rudely snapped out of his trance by a sudden onslaught from the black cat.

"Get that pig off me!"

"He's not a pig!" The pummeling only intensified, Neku shielding his head from Shiki's fury when suddenly he caught a glimpse of purple out of the corner of his eye.

No way…

His eyes widened as a familiar head of ash-blonde made its way through the masses, stride full of purpose and_ holy shit he came._

_Joshua actually came._

Shiki was quickly forgotten as he scrambled to his feet, trying (but failing) to hold back a massive grin because he came! Yoshiya-fucking-Kiryu was right there in front of him and all Neku wanted to do was hug the bastard. In fact, he stepped forward to do just that when an eerily familiar sound rang out that Neku had heard far too often in his short lifetime.

_Click._

This was not happening. Joshua was _not_ pointing a loaded gun at him _**again**_! Mr. H's warning about Josh reacting badly hit the teen at full force as he stared dumbly down the barrel aimed at him, freezing for a few precious seconds before scrambling for his pocket-

_Bang._

Neku vaguely heard people screaming, his vision blurring as he poured everything he had through the pin and into stopping the bullet. Thank God Psychokinesis pins worked outside of battle…

Of course, once he'd left the Game his power had dropped significantly, but he'd brought it back to a reasonable level through hours and hours of work and-shit Joshua was shooting again! This time he only slowed the bullet, sidestepping quickly so it sailed harmlessly past him. He hoped it didn't hit anyone behind him, the crowd of civilians falling over each other in their rush to escape as he slowly brought his pin out of his pocket, hand glowing with familiar wisps of power as he tried to call out between bullets.

"Josh! Stop- Shit!" Neku hissed as he reeled back, barely avoiding the projectile. Joshua allowed him no room to breathe, not even looking up as he fired again…and again…and again…was that six shots? It was a six-barrel gun; surely he'd be out of ammunition by now! Cautiously Neku started forward…and had to waste valuable energy stopping the chunk of lead as Josh cocked and fired again. Of course he could screw logic like that, he was the Composer.

The sheer inevitability of his situation was slowly crushing the teen, the screams and cries of people rushing past only adding to his hopelessness. He was going to die. Either through a blunder, or sheer exhaustion (He was already severely drained; maintaining psychs wasn't as easy in the RG), or Joshua losing patience and just killing him instantly…wait…

Why hadn't he killed him already? Why even bother with a gun anyway? Neku spared a glance for his ex-partner, noticing for the first time that he hadn't actually heard Josh speak yet. Hell, he hadn't even seen his face! Something was up, and Neku clung to the vague sense of hope it gave. If something was wrong, then he could fix it. If he fixed it, then maybe Josh wouldn't want to kill him. Okay, the plan was weak, but what else was he supposed to do? Sit and get pumped full of lead?

Neku was forced out of his frenzied planning by a literal hail of bullets, at least twenty of them sailing towards him and the hastily created force wall that pushed back started to waver. This was it, his fourth stint in the Game was imminent…and somehow Neku didn't think he'd be getting out alive of this one. Might as well say goodbye. He glanced over at Shiki, struggling desperately against the force that held her (so _that's_ why Beat hadn't got himself shot yet), and something in his eyes must've shown his despaired acceptance as she instantly started crying, tears dribbling down her face and falling onto Mr. Mew.

_Don't go._

Neku let out a bitter smile at the unspoken message; he didn't have much of a choice now did he? So he focused once again on maintaining his Psych, watching as the air around him warped and the bullets slowly crawled forward. Not long now…

_Bang._

"Why…"

_Bang._

"Won't…"

_Bang._

"You…"

Neku's head snapped up as he finally registered to muttered words, staring over at Joshua as the final shot was fired.

_Bang._

"DIE!"

The psych shattered around him, the air warping into pretty patterns as it dissolved into nothingness and the bullet buried itself into his shoulder.

"…Aaa…AaAAA…"

Neku quickly shoved his fist into his mouth to stop himself from howling, every shudder agitating the piece of lead and sending additional sparks of pain rushing down his spine and it _didn't stop_. The last times he'd been shot it was instantaneous and painless or almost painless but this _didn't stop_. Now he was feeling the pain at full force and oh God he was crying, liquid dripping down his cheeks and _why wasn't he dead yet?_

He looked up at his attacker through a pain-filled haze, taking in the lowered head, the outstretched gun and the slight tremble in his hands. He recognized that stance. He'd used it himself in his last showdown with Joshua, but difference that time was that he hadn't fired. Slowly his mind pieced together the facts, a cautious sense of hope slowly rising. Josh was shaking, why? Because he was upset. Why had he done that could be upsetting? He shot Neku. Why was that upsetting? Because he cared. How did he know Josh cared? Because he was still alive. And if he was alive, he still had a chance to fix this.

Neku staggered to his feet, wincing both at the flares of agony this created and at the tears that still flowed down his cheeks. He told himself to stop showing weakness; in this situation crying won't solve anything. Surprisingly his eyes obeyed him, allowing him a clear look at the Composer. His shaking was more obvious now, as odd as Joshua trembling seemed, and he just looked so unlike his usual smug self that Neku actually asked the stupid question cooked up in his pain-deluded mind. Did he say asked? He meant blurted out without thinking.

"Why haven't you killed me, Joshua?"

Almost immediately several anguished shouts erupted from his friends, yelling at him to shut it, don't give him any ideas! Neku himself was starting to panic, regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth because really, what on earth was he trying to achieve? It was like all common sense had thrown up its hands and given up on him, leaving the teen feeling disoriented and slow. The giggle Josh sent his way only reinforced this idiotic feeling. He sounded so _calm_. Neku'd expected something different, a reaction that was a bit more…human. Through this Neku was shoved face to face with his true fear, the real reason he was so frantic.

Did he actually know Joshua?

As soon as it hit him he had to struggle to hold back a wave of panic; becoming consciously aware of his insecurity had thrown him for a loop. The very idea was absurd, of course he knew him! They were partners, after all…but if that was true, why was he being shot at?

"Trust me Neku Dear, I will. It's just so much more fun to watch you squirm."

Joshua's threat sounded so nonchalant, spurring on Neku's spiraling thoughts into true panic. Oh God, he was going to _die_. He'd thought that before, but now it truly hit home that there wasn't going to be the Game waiting for him afterwards, no mad rush through Shibuya that he'd just barely struggle through, this was _it_. He was shaking, shudders rushing through him and sparking more pain from his shoulder as he stared balefully at his attacker through eyes turned fuzzy with panic. He didn't want to die…he didn't want to die! Neku's eyes squeezed shut, a vain attempt to fight off the fear and to _think_, not just wallow in the welcoming hopelessness that was swamping him.

Joshua's voice sounded deadly calm and composed. Yet he was violently shaking and _still_ hadn't killed him. Why? What was going on? And like a moment from inspiration only found in corny movies Neku suddenly remembered a moment from before the Game, an old friend violently shouting at him in anger. He remembered the way his own voice had operated on an entirely different wavelength to how he was feeling, sounding oh-so spiteful while inside he was a wreck. And he remembered how he had to hide his hands because they wouldn't stop shaking, linked to his emotions in a way that his voice wasn't.

What if… what if Joshua was doing the same thing? If he was, then Neku's best bet was what he himself had secretly wanted in that faraway moment locked in grief at his friends' passing. A friend that would value him enough to push past the mask and tell him it was okay. With this in mind, Neku steeled himself and stepped forward. Instantly Joshua tensed, all trembles ceasing as he stared at the teen for the first time through this whole encounter.

"Don't you take another step or I'll but a bullet through your pretty little head." He snapped, a slight undertone entering his voice as he reloaded, the loud click ringing through the square. All pedestrians had fled at this point, nobody brave enough to interfere with the skinny teen wielding a gun and a psychotic smile. Neku didn't blame them. The only reason Shiki, Eri, Beat and Rhyme were still around was that Joshua had frozen them there, probably as spectators to his supposed death. So the teen stepped forward again, stating what he desperately hoped to be true while attempting to keep his voice steady.

"You can't kill me."

"Want to bet on it?"

"You can't."

Another step, each movement sending a jolt of pain from his shoulder as Neku moved closer to the other boy. God it hurt…and the blood dribbling down his arm wasn't exactly comfortable. But yet he kept moving forward, noting with mild amusement that he was probably proving Shiki's point about him being too attached.

"Stay back." He was getting closer to the Composer now, and it was obviously having an effect as an edge of desperation started to claw into Joshua's voice, the teen visibly shifting back slightly with every step Neku took. The irony of this didn't go unnoticed by the teen that should've been doing the backing away in this encounter, but yet here he was advancing.

Neku's nerve wasn't going to hold out much longer at this rate, so he picked up the pace as he spoke with a confidence he certainly didn't feel.

"You can't shoot me. Know why?"

"Stop it..."

"Because you're scared."

"Don't come any closer!"

"You're scared of losing me."

Neku was running flat out now, charging at Joshua in a final, violent bid to get at the Composer. He'd be given one last chance; he wasn't going to waste it!

"You're scared of being hurt."

"Shut UP!"

"You're scared because if I die you'll lose the one person who wants you here, but your attachment is terrifying as it leaves you vulnerable to me, so you want me gone to get rid of that feeling."

"ENOUGH!"

There was visible panic in Joshua's eyes now, and the sight of it caused something to stir deep within the ex-player. He…wanted to protect Josh, as crazy as it sounded. This was the only thought racing through his mind as he tackled the slight teen in front of him, wrapping him in a hug as he whispered the words that Joshua so desperately wanted to hear.

"_I missed you._"

Neku barely registered the sound of the gun clattering to the ground, entirely focused on his friend in his arms as the all-powerful ruler of Shibuya started shaking. It wasn't much, mind, but for once both Joshua's voice and actions matched up.

"I…"

Neku simply smiled, ignoring his screaming shoulder as he repeated that one phrase, each repetition affecting the Composer like a physical blow. He'd missed him. God, how he'd missed him! A strange bubbly sensation started fluttering around his chest and just this once, Neku indulged it. So he squeezed Joshua tighter, forgetting about the sudden dampness on his shoulder and the hands clawing at his back in a strange mix of desperation, joy and fear, and instead bit back a laugh as he heard the tick-tock of a certain pocket watch from under Josh's shirt. So he'd found it after all.

"I see you found my gift."

"…Shut it…it was mine to begin with." Joshua seemed a bit calmer now, no longer scraping down Neku's back and the trembles stilling. He didn't try to get out of the hug though. Neku doubted he'd let Josh wriggle his way out of it either. Of course, he only thought that until his shoulder exploded in pain due to a particularly well-aimed poke from Joshua.

"Sh-! Do you mind?!" Neku wheezed out, hissing as a finger wormed it's way into the wound. Bloody hell that hurt! He only received a mildly annoyed glare from the Composer for his trouble though, looking far more like himself than earlier.

"Oh, suck it up Dear. Or would you rather leave it in?" Josh left no room for argument as he delicately plucked the bullet from his flesh, relinquishing its hold with a vile squishy sound doubled up with a wave of agony. Neku almost howled again, chomping down on his tongue with such force that the metallic taste of blood welled up. How on earth was this better?! He was seriously considering biting the Composers head off until a gentle warmth engulfed his shoulder, a keening tune warbling out from- was Joshua singing?

Neku watched in amazement as wordless notes floated out of the Composers mouth, hitting his shoulder with a slight fizzing sound and _holy shit_ Josh's pupils had disappeared! That was just downright terrifying.

It got to the point that he couldn't look in those glazed eyes, the sight of blank violet making him squeamish. He was so distracted by it that he didn't notice his pain levels receding, his own flesh weaving over itself in time to the song until there was no sign of the lead that was once wedged in there.

Neku only became aware once the tune drifted into nothing, blinking as he rotated his shoulder without it screaming in protest. So now Joshua can heal people with his voice. Why on earth did he only choose to reveal this now? It would've been so useful during the second week! Said boy's eyes slowly returned to their normal state, and for a split second he saw a strange mix of guilt and gratitude in those violet orbs.

No words were spoken, Neku enthralled with the seer openness of the emotions shown and Josh too wrapped up in his haze to do much. Of course then the ex player had to go and speak, shattering the moment into tiny pieces.

"Hey...thanks." As soon as the words left his mouth Joshua snapped out of whatever trance he'd put himself in, replacing any feelings with his normal mask of mild amusement. Damn. Why couldn't he keep his mouth shut? Josh was surprisingly warm...

"Really Dear, I don't think you should be grateful that I shot you. Unless you're secretly into that kind of thing." The Composer had completely recovered, speaking in that gentle mocking tone he was so fond of. Ah, friendly bitching. Now they were back in familiar territory.

"I meant for healing my shoulder, obviously your vapid little brain is more broken than usual."

"Hee hee~" Joshua's enjoyment quickly turned to annoyance though when he noticed red stains all over his poor shirt. "Ugh. Think you can contain your bodily fluids from leaking all over me?"

"Oh, of course. Next time you shoot me I'll make sure to direct my blood elsewhere." Neku replied smoothly, glancing at the forgotten weapon before grabbing it and handing it back to its owner. The look on Joshua's face was totally worth any future shootings.

"Are you serious."

"It's yours, isn't it?"

"Are you asking me to shoot you again?" The pure confusion on Joshua's face was...kinda cute, actually. Neku just rolled with it, smiling slightly before shoving the gun into his hands.

"Nah. I just trust you not to kill me, like I do with all my friends. Now come on." And with that Neku spun on his heel and strode towards the frozen group, biting back a smile at the footsteps that hesitated, and then followed.

**I'm worried about this chapter...Lemme know how I did! Loved it? hated it? Drop me a review and tell me! :) **

**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Holy sh- where did you guys come from?! So many reviews! Thanks, I feel so loved. And it was a massive modivation boost! See, win-win! *shot***

**Thanks to the lovely GintaXAvlissForever for being my beta and putting up with my rambling~ **

**I don't own TWEWY.**

Neku idly played with the cutlery on the table, letting the chatter of his friends wash over him in a relaxing wave. His chin rested on the tabletop as he gazed at nothing, lost in a rare moment of self-reflection. He didn't get many of these now. Everything was always so _busy_, so swamping. There was only so much exited frenzy he could take! So occasionally, when things became too much, he'd withdraw and simply become an observer. It used to scare people; friends shuffling away as Neku suddenly ceased to talk and just stared with an odd half-smile. However after many explanations (and a few terrified punches from Beat) his friends finally seemed to just roll with it, taking his silence in their stride. They didn't ask questions either, which was good. Like hell he'd tell them that his 'brooding' was actually him being all sappy.

…What?! He was attached to his friends. So sue him. At least that's how he wanted to think, but the stifling embarrassment and disgust swelled up as it always did when he thought something so sugar sweet. Sometimes he made himself feel like throwing up. When did he get so soft? He was just being…fascinated…that was it! And you had to admit, his friends reactions to Joshua were indeed fascinating.

You'd never guess that the smirking ash-blonde currently chatting away had shot at them yesterday. Well, technically he'd only shot at Neku, but it still didn't explain why Shiki and the others were being so civil. Not that he was disappointed, but shouldn't they be more…upset? Bitter? Even scared? Instead they were all showing varying degrees of acceptance. Except Beat. He was just being downright hostile. But he hadn't thrown any punches yet, so Neku would count his blessings as they came.

Neku exhaled, air escaping in a _whoosh_ as he watched the facial expressions of the small group. It was rather like piecing together a puzzle. It was amazing what you could find out about conversations through their bodies…Neku used to do this all the time, back when he was practically a hermit and needed to find out about people without actually talking to them. Old habits die hard, he supposed. It didn't change the fact that his hobby of people-watching had taken on a strangely relaxing quality, focusing once again on his friends with a slight smile.

Shiki was the first to attract his attention, pushing up her glasses while wearing such a grin. The sweet girl was happily talking with the others, wearing the same kind look she always did. However she wasn't as comfortable as she let on, Neku's appraising eye quickly picking up her occasional defensive fidgets. Little tics; a downward glance, a particularly tight squeeze of Mr. Mew, glasses getting adjusted rather than just shoved up her face…each one showed just how careful Shiki was being. So she was being friendly, but wasn't willing to completely open up like she would normally. Neku didn't think he could ask much more from his friend in a situation like this. Hell, if she could find it in her heart to forgive Neku's attempted murder on the second day, he was pretty sure she'd forgive Joshua eventually.

Rhymes face was…interesting. She was acting the most like herself out of everyone, but yet she was the most shut down. She was quietly listening, injecting good-natured comments occasionally, but was coming off strangely firm. Everything about her screamed 'I'm willing to trust you, but I don't', and her general kind-heartedness only seemed to emphasize this. Neku tilted his head slightly to regard her. He didn't understand Rhyme…okay…he didn't understand most people, but still. They were close, and he'd learnt to understand his other friends after a while, but she still managed to throw him for a loop. For such a straightforward person, she was oddly confusing. Better move on before he got stuck contemplating her personality again.

Eyes scanned from her to Beat, resting for just an instant before moving on. He didn't even bother with Beat; he was far too openly hostile to Joshua to be hiding anything. It wasn't much fun analyzing if there was no skill involved. He wasn't even making an effort to be nice. Actually Neku wasn't even being fair. Beat was doing a damn good job, given his reaction yesterday…

* * *

_Shiki slumped to the ground with a gasp, the invisible restraints that held her there dissolving as she fell to her knees. Her shoulders shook, as tears dribbled down her face, sobs not stopping even as she hit the pavement. Neku was there in an instant, murmuring reassurances as trembling hands ran over his face, cupped his cheeks, confirming to the distraught girl that he was okay, he was okay…_

_Another thump of legs giving out and suddenly Eri was there, clinging to both of them in such a violently protective movement that it made Neku blink. This wasn't like the Eri he knew. Had he… had he really scared all of them that much?_

_A quick glance over his shoulder revealed Joshua releasing Rhyme with a snap of his fingers, smirking in return to the utterly weary, disappointed look she gave him. It actually caused Neku to double take. That wasn't disappointment, oh no, it looked like Rhyme had actually given up all hope in Josh. Which made no sense; the girl hadn't known Joshua before this, so why on earth would she have hopes in him? It didn't change the fact that it was there, shown quite clearly on Rhymes face as Josh turned to release his final captive._

_Beat hit the ground with a much larger bang than the others, checking his fist before taking a roundhouse swing at the Composer. Neku realized what was happening just a little too late, dragging himself out of Eri's death grip to try and prevent both of them from doing something they'd regret, but he reacted too slowly. All he could do was watch as Joshua's lips twitched up into a feral smirk, Beat's fist halting mere millimeters from his face as the Composers power restrained him once again. Neku could only pray that he'd stop there, but the ash blonde let out an infuriating giggle and __**smiled**__, the kind of smile that should seem fine but screamed malicious glee before mentally shoving Beat back onto the pavement. Shit, he should've seen this coming. There was no way Joshua was completely in control after an explosion like that! Neku bolted up to interfere, to cut off this brewing fight before it could get any worse, but Rhyme beat him to it._

"_Beat."_

"_Don' use that tone with me, yo! This bastard tried to-!"_

"_Beat. Stop."_

"_Like hell I-"_

"_YOU CAN'T WIN THIS, BEAT!" _

_At this point everyone turned and stared, jaws hitting the pavement because had Rhyme seriously just yelled?! She was always so patient, so kind, approaching her brother's shortcomings with amusement rather than annoyance. The poor girl was glaring straight at Beat, a slight tremble in her frame._

"_Beat, __**please**__, stop. I don't want… I don't want you to get hurt…" _

_Oh hell, Rhyme was __**this**__ close to crying, eyes glistening with bottled-up tears as she let slip just how truly shaken she was. It finally drove home to Neku just how much his friends valued him. Did he really have the right to scare them that much? Could he be that selfish?_

_Beat stared at his sister for a bit, a thousand emotions flashing in his eyes before he averted his gaze, a show of unwilling agreement. It calmed Rhyme right down though, flashing her brother a weak smile before straightening up and addressing Joshua over her shoulder._

"_You can release him now."_

_It was almost an order, and Neku internally panicked at the oddly serious expression on the Composers face._

"…"

_Joshua wasn't saying anything, his intense gaze fixed on Rhyme as if he was honestly weighing up the complications of placing a bullet through her skull. Neku found himself whispering a prayer under his breath to any deities that might be listening; would it hurt to have something go his way for once? His mutter was answered by Josh smirking and Beat collapsing in a heap before him, but that wasn't the interesting bit. No, what truly stood out was the odd little half-smile he shot Rhyme, displaying both amusement and morbid curiosity. What on earth…_

_Neku recognized that grin…he knew it well. That was the look Joshua flashed whenever Neku refused to blindly obey early in the second week. Trying not to think about whether that was a good thing or not, his thoughts were cut off by Rhymes calm statement._

"…_You need help." _

_Instantly Joshua tensed, all previous interest squashed under the same vicious self-protection that he wore when trying to pump Neku full of lead. It was terrifying. Almost immediately Neku scrambled to his feet, ready to jump in and… do what, exactly? He didn't know, but he'd be damned if he let this get any worse. His fears were unfounded though as Rhyme finished off her sentence, his previous look of intensity melting into a relieved smile. Finally, something was going right._

"_And I'm willing to give it to you."_

* * *

Neku shook himself out of his reminiscing, scowling into the table at the memories of that rather awkward encounter. He was so glad it was over…If he ever had to face something like that again in his life it'd be too soon. Though knowing Josh, the chance of a repeat performance was unnervingly high. Why couldn't he have friends that were, I don't know, _sane_? Was that too much to ask? Sighing in recognition of the foul mood he'd put himself in, Neku settled down to observe the centerpiece of the conversation.

Joshua had completely recovered from his little snap yesterday. Violet eyes held the same smug amusement that they always did, the same slouched-yet-confident posture, and the works.

…It pissed Neku off.

Sure, it was good to see that he wasn't an unstable wreck, but it seemed bogus in comparison to the wonderful score of emotions he'd seen the other day. He seemed even more shut down than before, the biting humor he was so fond of holding more nonchalance than genuine amusement. It really, _really_ angered Neku. He went to all this trouble to track him down, the least he could do was be himself! But as much as he grumbled, he knew he was only trying to distract himself from what was really bothering him. In truth, the heart of the matter was simple.

Joshua hadn't talked to him at all since yesterday.

Nothing. Nada. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Not a peep from the usually talkative teen, no drawled jabs at Neku's pride, he'd said _nothing_. In reality there was nothing wrong with Joshua, it was just Neku trying to justify his otherwise childish anger. The fact that he was pissed over something so petty only increased his annoyance but dammit, he hated being ignored! He'd spent a good three years out of public sight, no problems there, but if he wanted your attention you'd better bloody give it to him.

Neku spared a baleful glare for the Composer, fighting back a frustrated twitch as he tossed some remark into the conversation that drew a bark of laughter from Eri.

Freaking.

Eri.

Joshua and Eri got along well. Like, really well. The second they'd started talking they'd clicked, their conversation starting after Eri had lingered outside a Lapin Angelique display. Neku hadn't known her as long as he had the others, but even he could pick up on the obvious delight she had in finding another fashion buddy. Joshua had sealed the deal by earning her a VIP card through a shady trade with Princess K (Neku hadn't been listening, but he heard something about a photo shoot before deliberately zoning out), and their friendship was born. Now they were happily sparking off each other, Eri's flamboyant sense of humor only adding contrast to Joshua's considerably dryer one.

It was obvious that Eri had taken a liking to him. She was even showing him through her sketchbook! Neku had learnt through painful experience that she had to _really_ like you to show you that, with Shiki being the only other to gaze upon its pages. Everything about it pissed Neku off. He should be grateful really, if Eri was open then Shiki would soon follow suit, but…

A particularly loud burst of laughter shook Neku from his brooding, blinking once as everyone tried to stifle their chortles. What on earth had got them all so worked up? Suddenly curious, he rested his head back on the table and zoned into the conversation once again.

"…And then what happened?"

"Hee hee. Well, he tried to hit me several times, but I managed to get him to wear it~"

"No way! Aah, he'd look so fabulous in the doll dress!"

"Why didn't he wear that when he was my partner…"

Neku suddenly snapped to attention as a cold feeling of dread rose, inwardly panicking as he realized just what they were talking about. Surely not. Surely Joshua wouldn't go so far as to…Once look at Beat confirmed his suspicions, the buff teen trying not to laugh and _oooh_, Josh was so _dead_.

"Oi! What the hell do you think you're telling them?!" He snapped, pelting sugar cubes over the table at the giggling group. Dammit! He'd tried so hard to hide some of the events in the second week, he didn't need Joshua blabbing them all now! Said teen just chuckled, shielding himself from the sugar storm with a smirk on his face.

"Oh? I'm just telling the others of your delightful exploits in the second week. I can't believe you didn't tell your friends about all the fun we had! For shame, Neku Dear. For Shame."

Eri just nodded sagely in agreement, turning to Neku as Rhyme hid her grin.

"Yeah! I don't know why you hid it, you know we'll never look down on you. And now that we know of your love for dresses, you can come shopping with us!"

Words could not adequately describe Neku's shame and anger right now.

"I AM NOT A CROSSDRESSER!"

"Oh? But you seemed so comfortable when you wore that delightful dress Princess K picked out-"

"THAT WAS FOR THE DEFENSE BOOST DAMMIT." Neku paused to calm down slightly, just enough to formulate a plan of attack. There was _no way_ he was taking this lying down! If anyone was watching they would've noticed the steely glint in his eyes as he pushed himself upwards, looming over the table as Beat hooted in delight.

"Oooh, shits gettin' serious now yo!"

"Shut up, Beat. And that's funny Joshua, I could've sworn I saw you prancing around in various skirts all week."

Instantly the girls were in spectator mode, collectively oohing as Joshua smirked and rose to the challenge. The saddest part was deep down Neku was just happy that Josh was finally speaking to him. Lord he was pathetic sometimes.

"Yes, and I looked damn good in them too. Your point is?"

"I just found it hypocritical that you're laughing at me for wearing a dress you forced me into while you wandered around with a stuffed animal."

"M'sieur Lapin was incredibly useful, thank you." Joshua's reply was smooth, but Neku had heard the slight defensive edge in his tone. Biting back a grin and filing the knowledge that Josh was attached to the plushie away for later use, the teen decided to reclaim lost pride by tackling the dress incident once again.

"Besides, I only wore it for a day. Most of my wardrobe is proudly male."

"Oh yes, and filled with le Grand clothes. After all, you visit there so often to rendezvous with your secret _boyfriend_." Joshua shot back, and the resulting pandemonium drowned out any spluttered denial Neku made. Shiki was making tiny, high-pitched noises in the back of her throat, Eri was howling with laughter, Beat was shouting his confusion to the heavens and Rhyme simply smiled. Of course, Joshua was too smug to say anything, he just sat back and relished in the chaos he made. Neku was seriously revaluating the worth of chasing after him now…

"Oh yes, you're quite popular with that shop clerk. It was a literal flirt fest every time we went in. Neku is _quite_ the charmer, eh Dear?" His amusement was dripping off every syllable, Joshua casually leaning over to deliver a light punch to Neku's arm. He had to retreat quickly though to avoid his hand being bitten off.

"Shut up, you bastard, you know that's not true." Neku snapped back, feeling truly sore at the teasing he was now destined to receive. It was awkward enough to shop there, he didn't need to be harassed outside of it too! At least Josh gave some ground, giggling that infuriating laugh of his before sighing playfully.

"But there's no doubt he likes you. He can barely control himself, poor thing. It must be rough, attracting so much attention from older men…" Everyone else was almost in stitches at this point, driving up Neku's embarrassment levels to untold heights. And when Neku got embarrassed, he got _pissed_. He was going to shoot that smug son of a bitch down!

"And what about you and Mr. H? If there isn't something pedophilic going on there I don't know what is." He barked, unable to hold back a victorious smirk as the group oohed behind him. If he weren't so busy attacking, he would've picked up on the warning signs and shut up when he had the chance.

"…What did you say?!"

"You heard me. Does it hurt to walk after you spend the night with him?"

"Shut up!"

"Defensive, are we? I don't blame you, you probably throw yourself-"

His taunt was cut off with a particularly vicious-sounding slam, Joshua shoving himself upwards in one violent movement. Violet eyes flashed in anger as they met with Neku's, the air around them quickly turning dangerous.

"_Do not_ talk about Sanae in that way." He hissed, glaring at the ex-player as if to challenge him. Instantly Neku realized that maybe, just maybe he'd crossed some sort of line, and was about to apologize before Joshua spoke again.

"At least I have someone who'd care if I just disappeared for three weeks."

All thoughts of forgiveness were forgotten at the jab about Neku's mom not even being aware that he went missing, she'd been overseas and his dad hadn't managed to get through to her. It shouldn't bother him really, he knew that it wasn't her fault, but obviously some part of him was still sore about it as fury swelled and Neku openly snarled at the pale teen in front of him. How dare he!

Everyone had suddenly gone very quiet, realizing the layer of hell they'd just walked into and shutting up to avoid setting anything off. Not that it counted for much, the boys were perfectly capable of blowing up by themselves.

"At least my father figure doesn't screw me into the mattress."

"At least I don't whore myself out to every shopkeeper I meet."

"At least people don't mistake me for a girl when I walk down the street!"

"At least I can go longer than a day before collapsing into an angsty heap!"

"At least-"

"May I?" Rhyme's quiet interruption threw them both for a loop, the boys turning to her in surprise. By the panicked expression on Beats face the others hadn't set her up for this either, making her strange foolishness all the more puzzling. Rhyme was a sensible girl, why would she stick her nose into a fight?

"Thank you. First, I'd like you both to take a step back and actually realize how horrible you're being to each other." She stated calmly, gently shoving Neku out of his rather threatening position before doing the same to a slightly stunned Joshua. Horrible? Sure, they weren't exactly being nice, but Neku stuck to his reasoning of 'he started it' and so Josh deserved everything he got! Rhyme picked the worst times to butt in, he'd just thought of a really good comeback. What was it? Ah yes, "At least my parents weren't relieved when I died."

…Oh…

…

…Well shit.

Neku was starting to realize what Rhyme was going on about now, his temper quickly cooling as he mentally berated himself for being such an ass. Obviously he'd reached a new level of cattiness if he'd happily blurt out _that_.

The blonde nodded in satisfaction, obviously happy to get her point across before turning to stare at a certain pale-haired teen, catching his gaze in a very deliberate manner. Eventually Joshua looked away, and Neku swore he saw his fist clench in a minute display of…anger? Regret? It was hard to tell. No matter what it was it seemed to satisfy Rhyme, exhaling in a way that sounded both exasperated and fond as she faced Neku once again.

"Good. Now, I believe joint apologies are in order."

And now he was having serious doubts about Rhyme's sanity.

Hadn't she learnt? Neku _never_ apologized. Ever. With the exemption of the attempted murder of Shiki (cause let's face it, that one was desperately needed), the best anyone ever got was a grumbled 'yeah, well, shit happens'. And that was only when he'd been a jerk unprovoked, definitely not when a certain smug bastard started bitching first. One glance at Joshua was enough to determine that he took a similar stance on the matter, leaving them with a rather awkward atmosphere as both refused to give in. This was going nowhere fast…Neku glanced over at the young blonde, silently imploring her to take back this impossible demand. Maybe she'd forgotten? Looking at the glare he received, Neku was forced to acknowledge that this was very much deliberate. Damn…

Neku fidgeted slightly, palms opening and closing under the table as he mentally squirmed. The thought of saying sorry almost made him want to gag, but there was no denying that he'd been fairly horrid. Joshua looked just as uncomfortable, which should've given him some sense of smug satisfaction, but strangely only made the niggling urge to just man up and _say it_ increase tenfold. Why on earth was this so damn difficult?

The silence stretched on, the awkward shuffling of his friends behind him a constant backdrop to his emotional turmoil. Neku honestly didn't know what to do. He would rather die than go back on his word (which, in his mind, was the definition of apologizing), but he'd worked so hard to get Joshua here, was it really worth throwing it all away? Surprisingly, Joshua broke the silence with such a weary sigh that the mere tone of his voice was enough to make Neku's decision for him.

"Look, it doesn't really matter-"

"…Sorry."

Okay, if apologizing lead to Josh spluttering mid sentence then Neku was definitely going to make a habit out of it. He could do without the shell-shocked stares from Shiki and co though…Joshua looked blatantly confused; eyes not wavering from Neku's in a way that made him feel oddly pleased with himself. Finally, he had his attention. He'd be damned if he let things get awkward between them again though, so he leaned over the table to lightly thump his friend in the arm.

"Don't worry about it. Though you can make up for everything by shouting drinks."

He was offering him a way out, and the slight curve of the Composers lips showed it hadn't gone unnoticed. So the ash blonde gave a light giggle, smirking in conformation as he delicately replaced the various items that had been upset in their kerfuffle.

"Fine, I guess I can live with that. Though I suppose you moochers are going to want something too, hmm?"

Josh rested one hand on his hip, the other splayed out across his chin as he grinned down on the others. It was so flipping normal for Josh that Neku was hard pressed not to smile back out of relief. An unnoticed tension had eased between them, some odd atmosphere dispersed as Joshua calmly strolled over and wasted no time in making himself comfortable on Neku's shoulders. …Well, it was better than being ignored. It didn't stop him scowling though.

"I'm not one for drinks, buuuuuut…" Eri flashed a wolfish grin at Joshua before continuing. "Tomorrows the big sale at 104! Lets all meet up and go!"

Almost immediately Shiki perked up, ditching her shaken state in favor of squealing excitedly. Rhyme looked satisfied that the fighting had been sorted out, and Beat was, well, Beat.

"Oh hell naw! Leave me outta your prissy shoppin' trip, yo!"

"Oh c'mon, lets go along. If they start getting too 'fashion-y' for your taste we'll go look at video games, okay?"

Beat whooped at his sister's promise, drawing a laugh from both Neku and the pale boy currently invading his personal space in a way he'd grown accustomed to over the second week.

It was nice to finally have all his friends in the same place.

**Please review! I pretty much live off those tiny lil' messages. :3 **


	8. Chapter 8

**So here we are! Late update is late... Sorry guys. Have some fluff. And Josh. **

**Many thanks to the wonderful GintaxAlvissForever for betaing this for me! **

**Not much to say, so... read on, I guess. I don't own TWEWY**

Neku awoke to the smell of burning. Almost instantly he jumped out of bed, ignoring his inner shouts of protest at the sudden chill in favor of bolting down the stairs. He took them two at a time, repeating his mantra of keep calm, keep calm, keep- shit! One misstep sent him crashing down, the noise of his shins hitting the sharp edges of the steps paling in comparison to the string of profanities that escaped the teens mouth. Bloody hell that hurt!

"Good morning to you too, sunshine!" His dad's cheerful greeting wafted from the kitchen, along with suspicious wisps of smoke. Was his dad seriously trying to cook again? He wasn't half bad, _if_ he managed to stay focused. His fears relieved, Neku wandered into the kitchen as his usual case of morningitis set in. He got up early for nothing...

"G'morning. I hope you're aware that you've killed whatever is in that pan over there." He yawned, openly smirking as his dad swore briefly. It was way too easy to distract his old man; almost anything could drag his attention away from what he was meant to be doing. He called it inspiration, Neku called it daydreaming. Still, the fact that he was so zoned out meant that he'd probably had a really good idea. Perhaps another song?

"So? What caught your attention at this early hour?"

Right on cue his father turned around with a lazy grin, abandoning his attempts to salvage the pan in favor of swaggering over and pounding Neku on the back. Did he mention that his old man was a morning person? And that he wasn't? Neku was seriously tempted to maul him.

"Bacon~"

…Oh God it was too early for this shit.

His Dad must've noticed the furious glare sent his way as his hand removed itself from Neku's back, the smile he wore wavering for a second to look more like a smirk. Please no. Please don't tell him that his father had been doing this deliberately! One look at the far-too-innocent expression on his parents face confirmed his suspicions and he groaned, slamming his head into the table in a vague hope that this was all a dream; he'd wake up and his bastard father wouldn't be messing with him at this unholy hour.

"Heh, sorry kid. It's just too much fun screwing with you." His dad's chuckle was accompanied by a ferocious hair ruffle, turning back to the pan and his attempts to chisel whatever had fused itself with the surface off.

"Besides, I wasn't making anything up. I'm thinking of making a song based on the perfect strip of bacon, tender yet crunchy."

"You sure you're not tripping?"

The sad part was, it was a legitimate question. It was hard to tell with this guy…Neku's father simply laughed at his son's query, dumping a plate of eggs unceremoniously in front of the teen.

"I wonder about that myself sometimes. Lucky for me that I have a harsh critic to keep my ass in line then, eh?" This was asked along with a mischievous wink, making Neku roll his eyes. His dad was such a dork! He couldn't help the smile that slipped loose though, simply snorting before shoveling a forkful of food into his mouth. They weren't half bad. Pity the same couldn't be said about the smoldering black lump in the sink…

Neku recognized that he had it pretty good with his dad. He was the one who had fostered Neku's love of music. He'd happily entertained Neku's wild ramblings when he was younger, and he was the one who'd taught Neku the simple pleasure of sitting back and just _listening_. It made him feel all kinds of horrendous for his treatment of his folks over the past three years. He had to fight back a wince at the mere thought of it. 'Grieving' didn't even begin to justify his behavior…it made heading back home after the Game much more terrifying than it should've been. Would they be scared? Upset? Or glad that their son who had mistreated them so horribly had finally gone? Whatever he'd thought, it was definitely not that the door would open to show a disheveled looking father, who stared for a few good seconds before wrapping his son in a bone-crushing hug. He hadn't asked where he'd been, or what had happened to create Neku's drastic change in attitude. He was just happy to have his son back.

Fighting back a sickening wave of sentimentality, Neku focused on forcing food into his mouth to avoid being late. They'd all agreed to meet at 104 far too early for his liking. He couldn't help wondering where Joshua had spent the night though. Maybe he'd crashed at Dead God's Pad? But he hadn't seen a bed there, so…

"Oh yeah, were you at Hachiko two days ago? The media's in an absolute panic."

His dad's word jolted Neku out of his musings. Well duh, of course they'd be all up in a flap! A kid had opened fire in a crowd for God's sake! For a stay at home parent, his father was oddly disconnected. But just before he opened his mouth his dad continued, completely oblivious to the fact that he was about to receive an answer.

"Apparently the whole area just dropped off the map. All security cameras stopped, satellite signals dropped out and all the witnesses' phones have been wiped. If you can even call them witnesses, given that their memories have been wiped too! Not one person can remember what happened during that afternoon in that section of Shibuya. Crazy, huh?" He paused to chuckle, unaware of his son's disbelieving stare. He'd wondered how Josh was going to cover up the shooting, but he didn't think he'd do _that_. Maybe it was stupid, but he'd assumed that Joshua would be a bit more…well, stealthy. Not just leave some whopping great hole that could only be explained away by some alien terrorist conspiracy! He was going to have to yell at Josh over this. Might be good to work out some of his latent aggression.

"…That so? I don't remember going in there, but that doesn't count for much." It would've fooled anyone else, but his dad picked up on the lie instantly. He fixed Neku with a hard stare, searching for the truth in his son's eyes, but gave up soon after with a weary shrug.

"Fine. But one of these days you're going to tell me just what happened, okay?" He wasn't talking about just Hachiko. Neku simply nodded, although he secretly dreaded that time. The idea of his dad just dismissing the existence of the Game, or deciding that his son had lost it…ugh, no thanks. While it was painful to constantly lie, it was a lot better than the alternatives. Probably wasn't a good idea to tell his father that though.

"Alright. I'm heading out today, the girls have decided to drag us all shopping." Neku mumbled through his mouthful of food, one hand scrabbling for a shirt left on the ground. He could never get away with leaving his clothes on the floor when his mother was about, but when she was overseas it was just two overly relaxed males with the house to themselves. It was awfully convenient though, and he wasted no time in yanking his favorite purple vest over his head.

"Mm, okay. Take the key though, I'll be mixing all day and probably won't hear you knock." Neku simply grabbed the keys and jingled them in response, pausing only to struggle on a pair of shorts and slide his signature headphones around his neck. He may not use them to shut people out anymore, but they looked cool, and were a present from…

Moving right along.

Shaking off the rush of depressing emotions, Neku mussed up his bed head even further into its usual haphazard style and left, tossing a wave over his shoulder.

Joshua was there before him, much to his surprise. He thought he'd arrived reasonably early… obviously not. Jogging up to the Composer with a quiet smile on his face, Neku nodded in response to the smirk he received in greeting.

"Morning Dear. You're up rather early, I must say."

"This coming from the bloke who beat me here?" Neku snorted, dismissing the question with a flip of his hand. He'd never pegged Josh as a morning person. Yet here he was, giggling irritatingly into his fist.

"Oh, that doesn't count, considering I've been here all night. I just _couldn't _wait to see you again Dearie~" Joshua's flirty teasing was quickly ignored by Neku, the teen far more alarmed by the nonchalant confession about his sleeping habits.

"Wait, what? Don't you need to, you know, _sleep_?" Neku found himself growing angrily at his friend, the complete lack of self-preservation rubbing him all the wrong ways. Seriously, who actually spent all night in Shibuya? It was dangerous! And if Joshua had fallen asleep out here…Neku quickly reined his thoughts back into line once he realized how much he sounded like his mother. Joshua, for his part, simply blinked before letting out an oddly amused-yet-relived chuckle. It instantly riled Neku. What the hell was he being so smug about?! Damn, and to think he'd actually been worried about this asshole…

"I'd forgotten, you don't know. As the Composer, I feel no physical requirement to sleep. Same with eating, though I do _so_ enjoy a nice bowl of ramen." Josh emphasized his point with a mischievous smirk, said expression growing wider as the implications finally clicked in Neku's head.

"…! So every time you threw a fit and forced us to stop because you were hungry-"

"Thanks for the food, Dear~" The Composer outright laughed at the furious look on his ex-partner's face, not bothering to stifle his amusement behind his palm like before. Neku glared daggers at Joshua, inwardly seething at the sudden revelation and seriously tempted to smack him into next week. It felt like every ten minutes in the second week Joshua had dragged them into some restaurant or another, claiming he couldn't continue due to hunger pains. Neku's wallet always left feeling significantly lighter after those endeavors, and now he was telling him it was all a big waste of time?! Goddamn Josh pissed him off sometimes. It wasn't like he could do much about it now though, so he just grumbled as he nimbly seated himself on the low wall Joshua had perched himself on. Said boy had finally stopped his giggling fit, snorting once more before turning to regard his companion with a lazy smile as they slipped into comfortable silence.

The weather was rather nice today, rouge clouds drifting aimlessly through an otherwise clear sky. It was a shame they were going to spend it inside a shopping centre. Still, knowing Eri, the chances that they'd stay in 104 were slim. They were going to get dragged all over Shibuya… great.

In order to distract himself from the knowledge that his feet were going to be sore as hell after this, Neku let his mind wander to Joshua's statement once more. Come to think of it, it didn't really explain much.

"…Weren't you bored?"

"Hmm?"

"Staying up. Everything's closed at night around here, except for the nightclubs, but you're too young to get in there anyway. There's nothing to do or see. Wasn't it…"

Neku stopped himself before he said _lonely_. God, what was with him today? He was sounding more like his mum every second! Joshua just _hmmm_ed at him, glancing out at the sky as one hand curled itself under his chin.

"Not really. Shibuya's actually incredibly beautiful at night. Everybody's asleep, so their Vibes are toned down enough to let the city's harmony shine through. It's rather calming." He paused to smirk. "Besides, I'm older than you Dear. Who's to say I wasn't in there tearing up the floor?" The joke (at least, Neku hoped it was a joke) was disregarded in the wake of his curiosity, the concept of Shibuya being a giant song too tantalizing a possibility for music lover Neku to pass up. So the teen shifted slightly, staring out at the same patch of sky Joshua's gaze was fixed upon.

"Explain."

The invitation caused Josh to raise an eyebrow, both miffed that Neku didn't take his bait and skeptical about the sudden interest. His whole expression screamed _really? You want to know about that?_ But when the teen remained silent, Josh sighed and shifted his eyes back to the deep blue stretching above them.

"…Mhmm. You've made it quite clear that you know about how every being emits a Vibe," Joshua had to fight back the urge to flinch, secretly glad that his, erm…_habits_ of waiting with Neku at Hachiko after the game hadn't come up in conversation yet. "And this translates into sound in the higher planes. As the Composer, I can hear and alter those noises, and it's my duty to make sure everything harmonizes reasonably well. Essentially, that tune is the master blueprint for Shibuya. Altering the music in the higher plane directly effects this lower one, and on top of that, there are layers and layers to the song that are constantly shifting."

He couldn't stop the twitch of annoyance at that, the trouble he'd had with some of those elements leaving slightly bitter. So many times had he written that month's sheet music perfectly only to have something change at the last minute and screw everything up… Joshua forced his mind onto happier topics, focusing on Neku once again.

"Anyway. The people themselves are one huge, horribly clashing layer, and if I let it get discordant riots and fights would break out all over the place." Hoo boy, Joshua remembered the last time he let _that_ happen. It took him ages to right the melody, and while he tried, rioters smashed a good part of the Scramble. Bringing up all these unpleasant experiences was not how he'd planned for today to go. He was going to stop there, but then he made the mistake of looking at Neku. He was so enthralled… Well, a little more couldn't hurt. He didn't want to let his friend down. Fighting back the little thrill that ran through him at the fact that _I have friends now_, Joshua continued his recount.

"People are by far the nosiest layer. Really, _really_ noisy. It drowns out everything else. Previous Composers have created the equivalent of sheet music for the city itself, so that it won't just dissolve into nothing, but you can barely hear it over the jumble of the people." Joshua paused to shrug, obviously well used to this fact. "It's not really a problem anymore, but sometimes it's nice to hear the constant, dependable tune of Shibuya rather than the shifting scale of its residents."

Neku considered this for a bit, truly fascinated by the concept. The song of the people, huh… It was strangely reminiscent of Shiki's observations in the first week, a clash of creeds screaming out to be heard the loudest, and he found himself nodding in acceptance. It also explained some of Josh's distain for people in general, if he saw them as little more than noise generators. But he seemed to be a bit more accepting now, which sent such an odd sense pride through Neku that he grimaced. Sure, there was no question he had some influence in Joshua's change of heart, but… Sighing inwardly, Neku entertained a lazy thought to try and force his ego to behave.

"So then, what do I sound like?" he let the question hang in the air, shifting his hands so he could lean a bit further back. The answer came with a surprising lack of hesitation.

"A base guitar, but with a bit of a synch edge. At the moment it's pretty soothing and slow, since you're so relaxed." Neku gave an involuntary start of surprise, unaware that he was broadcasting his emotions like that. He really should've known better.

"Oh, it's just upped a tone. Did I surprise you Dear?" He didn't even need to look at Joshua to know he was wearing that shit-eating grin he was so fond of; his amusement was practically dripping off every syllable. Freaking bastard…

"Hee hee, it sped up and become slightly discordant. You're annoyed~" The Composer sang at him, leaning over to pinch his cheek fondly. Oh, he was so asking for it. But he was reluctant to give the other boy any more ammunition via his emotions, so he settled with scowling and batting away the probing fingers.

"You. Stop. Now."

"Aww, you're no fun. But it's rather cute how easy it is to rile you up…"

"Are you asking to be put in a headlock? 'Cause that was practically an invitation."

"Fine, fine~"

The conversation lapsed into silence, Neku too busy nursing his bruised pride to bother talking. Bloody Joshua, now he was all paranoid… and pissed. Though it was a nice heads-up to never play poker with the kid, he'd lose in an instant! He snuck a glare over at his companion, grumbling at the evil grin still lingering there before turning back up to the sky. Where the hell were the others anyway? It had to be close to the meeting time by now. Perhaps they were lost…?

A shifting movement caught Neku's attention and he turned, bearing witness to an odd, but not unpleasant sight.

Joshua was smiling at him.

Oh sure, it carried its usual sarcasm and smug amusement, but it seemed…softer, somehow. More fond than mocking. More like a genuine smile. Neku found himself strangely fascinated, blatantly staring at the expression that seemed so foreign on the Composer's face. It was so _weird_. He could've happily sat staring at if forever, except that his mouth went running off ahead of his thoughts and blurted out a random question to completely shatter the moment.

"What're you thinking about?"

The question seemed to jar Josh out of his musings, blinking once in a surprisingly open display of disorientation before reverting back to his normal smirk. It never lost its affectionate undertone though. Neku liked it.

"Oh, just listening to your Vibe. It's rather amusing hearing your emotions change."

…Neku changed his mind, Joshua was an _ass_, and always would be! He let out a spluttered, furious noise in reply, inwardly cursing at his inelegant response but what the hell was he supposed to say to that?! Josh must've picked up on his anger (freaking Composer cheat codes) as he merely chuckled and flopped onto Neku, casually reclining across his shoulders. Something told the teen that he had no concept of personal space.

"Aww, I'm sorry Dear. I'll stop now. Really." He giggled, letting out a contented sigh as the sun hit his back. For once, Neku didn't feel the urge to shove him off. So he simply sighed and sat there, just enjoying the company of his friend that he'd poured so much time and effort into. He hadn't felt this relaxed in ages.

"…I wish…"

The words sounded breathy, murmured, like they'd slipped out without any prior knowledge. Neku tilted his head in surprise, not expecting Joshua to say anything. Since when did he speak without thinking? Josh looked just as startled as Neku felt but he covered it well, dissolving into a nonchalant shrug as he continued blithely.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking you'd like to hear Shibuya when it rains, each drops sounds like a key on a piano and it plays the most amazing harmonies." He seemed strangely hesitant to voice this, causing Neku raise an eyebrow. He didn't understand why Joshua was reluctant to voice this, it sounded pretty damn cool! But he knew when not to push an issue, so just rolled with the flow of the conversation.

"Mm, I would. Sounds awesome." Another pause, before a cautious reply from the Composer.

"…well, next time it rains I'll come find you, and then we'll listen to it together." That sounded like a promise, and the teen nodded once to hide the squirming ball of excitement in his chest. He shouldn't be so excited over nothing, but… this was the first time that Joshua had reached out to him, instead of Neku chasing after. It quelled a hidden fear that this friendship was one sided after all. It felt…nice. Of course, that quickly died once Neku thought over his invitation once more. Joshua could only hear it because he was connected to a higher plane, and the only way for them both to hear it was if they were both connected. The only way for him to move up planes was…

"Waitaminute- did you just promise to kill me again?!" Neku couldn't believe this bastard! He was far too busy being pissed to notice that Josh blinked once, twice- and then burst out into peals of laughter.

"Oh Nekky, Dear, your lack of faith wounds me! No, you'd simply have to be in contact with me. Though I don't think our relationship is ready for hand-holding just yet~"

The Composer sighed like some love struck maiden, fanning his face in a mocking gesture that left Neku feeling sore. Okay, so he may have jumped to conclusions, but that was no reason to be a bitch about it. He couldn't stop the corner of his lips twitching upwards though.

"Oh, there you two are! Sorry we're late...Eri couldn't find her hat." Shiki huffed, clearly unimpressed with her counterpart as the two girls jogged up to the pair.

It was about time! Neku nodded slightly in greeting while Joshua tossed them a lazy wave, fully comfortable in his position of sprawled over the teen's shoulders. Neku was well used to it, so he hadn't given their arrangement a second thought. It…wasn't the smartest move he ever made.

"My my! Are we interrupting?" Eri sung, putting fingers to her mouth to unleash a piercing whistle. What on earth was she getting at? Her teasing eluded Neku, implied meanings soaring over his head as Josh frowned slightly. He was just as oblivious as he was.

"No. Why would you be?"

Their confusion only deepened when Eri started cackling, Shiki flushing a rosy pink and coughing awkwardly into Mr. Mew. Their reactions were really weird…it was only when Neku noticed the gentle tickle of Joshua's hair against his cheek that it clicked.

"Oh, for the love of- Joshua has no concept of personal space, okay? It means as little as his flirting." He snapped, rapping his companion on the forehead to force him off. Wow, Eri could be immature. Shiki too. He thought they had more self-control than that! Then again, they hadn't had the week of being flopped on with no prior warning…Josh retreated with a pout, obviously miffed at being kicked off his spot.

"Aww. But you're such a comfy pillow…" Mock irritation adorned Joshua's features, clashing with the smile hidden in his voice. Neku wasn't exactly pleased with this arrangement either; he was oddly cold without the Composer's heat. Like hell he would ever admit that though.

"Cry me a river. So, where's Beat and Rhyme?" He addressed Shiki with a much nicer tone than the biting one he shot at Joshua. Well, he couldn't let the girls get the wrong idea…especially if Josh ever flopped on one of them in the future. Shiki blinked owlishly in response, glancing around her in an attempt to both look for the siblings and shake off her blush.

"They aren't here yet? I assumed you'd sent him off to get food or something." She mused, Eri making a sound of agreement. Damn, so they hadn't all come together…oh well. The sun was nice, so it couldn't hurt to relax a bit more. Neku sighed and shuffled over, patting the newly exposed spot with his palm. The unspoken invitation was accepted instantly. Damn, it was kind of squishy on the wall now... It didn't help that Joshua had reclaimed his back the second he looked away. Would it hurt these guys to have some concept of personal space? Shiki just giggled and smiled at him, eyes warm and kind, while Joshua and Eri engaged in friendly bickering over who got to use the 'Nekky pillow'. Perhaps…perhaps this wasn't so uncomfortable after all. Letting out a contented sigh that was violently denied once it was noticed (why Neku, I had no idea you enjoyed my company so much!), Neku settled in to wait in the morning sun.

**Reviews are adored! If you could spare the time, they're much appreciated. :) **


	9. Chapter 9

**Oh look, I updated! Sorry for the wait... but this one's really, really long, so hopefully that compensates. (Oh God it took forever and killed me WHYYYYY) *sobs into forever* Also I went on Holidays and forgot to reply to a bunch of people (but having no internet or phone connection helped), so I will respond to all you amazing people eventually! **

**We finally reach the plot! Halleluja! You guys probably won't spot much of it, but it's there yay~ **

**Thanks go to GintaXAlvissForever for betaing once again! (and for putting up with my astonishing lateness)**

The siblings had shown up eventually, Beat spouting excuses and Rhyme looking oddly pissed with her brother. Joshua grinned and made some degrading remark, Eri had cackled and backed him up, Beat exploded, Shiki cowered, and Neku plus Rhyme had wasted valuable energy calming everyone down. In other words, it was business as usual. It was rather sad that normalcy involved a spat five minutes into the day…Neku had to wonder just how his life had gotten so draining. But they'd made it here in the end, the teen weaving through the isles of D+B with a scowl firmly set in place. Why was he so irritated at this early hour? One word: Joshua. Or more specifically: Joshua and Eri.

Eri was a literal bulldozer. She had knocked over about three displays, five racks and one disgruntled shop assistant in her quest for clothes, leaving absolute chaos in her wake. This was not what Neku had a problem with. Neither was the shopkeeper chasing after her with the intent to kill. No, what he had an issue with was how Joshua slid in between Eri and the angry assistant, promptly distracting them while Shiki hastily reset whatever had been destroyed. It irritated him. If she was going to rampage, the least she could do was listen to the lecture she earned afterwards! But as it stood the bubbly teen was gleefully oblivious, skipping through the isles with her best friend in tow.

A loud clang of metal rang out behind him, and Neku fought back the urge to wince at the angry squawk that followed. That made two assistants… Right on cue Eri breezed by, and right on cue Joshua waltzed in and struck up a conversation with the livid shopkeeper. Apparently Josh had been bored enough to become besties with every shopkeeper in existence. He'd even managed to become chummy with people he really shouldn't get along with… how he'd managed to befriend the Wild Boar salesman, Neku would never know.

A quick glance to the side confirmed that Shiki was indeed hurriedly placing scattered clothes back on the display, finishing precisely as Joshua waved the much happier assistant on their way. They were so well timed he almost thought they'd rehearsed it.

"Oh, hey Neku. Why are you looking so grumpy? I know shopping isn't really your thing, but…" Shiki trailed off as the Composer strolled over, his permanent half-grin set on his face.

"Why hello there. I hope you don't mind me crashing your party." Shiki nodded all too quickly, betraying her lack of comfort with the situation. Neku knew there was going to be some awkwardness to work through, but she didn't have to be so…obvious about it. It left the teen in a rather uncomfortable and irritated mood. Playing conversationalist was never his strong point, yet if he didn't speak up…

"Oh, Shiki. That's a nice skirt you got there." It was a clumsy topic change, and everyone knew it. Yet Shiki pounced on the chance like she found the newest fashions in a bargain bin.

"Isn't it?" The color and cut is just so cute! I was thinking Eri would look amazing in it, so I kinda picked it up without thinking."

"It'd look better on you."

"E-eh?"

Neku silently cursed Joshua's bluntness as his friend recoiled, eyes fluttering downwards in undeserved shame. Even though her jealousy had been dealt with, Shiki still had a mountain of self-loathing to work through, and Joshua wasn't helping any by complimenting her out of the blue like that! He needed to step in, to smooth over the conversation, to stop Josh from opening his oblivious mouth once more, but the Composer beat him to it.

"It's true. While it _would_ look great on Eri, this color suits your skin tone better. Plus the cut would emphasize your figure and give you more of an hourglass silhouette." Joshua was stating this all so nonchalantly, not even looking at Shiki as he spoke. He was too occupied with a nearby shirt that had caught his eye to notice the poor girl's discomfort. It was painful to watch, but what could Neku do? He wasn't good at conversation, heck; he wasn't good with people in general. Surely Josh knew what he was doing. Surely he wasn't _that_ oblivious…right? But then he remembered the Composer's attempts to play nice with him late in the second week, promptly realizing that Josh was maybe even worse with social interaction than he was, and attempted to jump in again. Who was he kidding? Josh was going to burn every single bridge without even realizing it!

"Hey-"

"Josh! What've you got there? Ooh, it's cute!"

Eri cut Neku off with the cheer of somebody completely unaware of what they just did, plucking the aforementioned shirt out of the bemused Composer's grasp. God dammit, how hard could it possibly be to get a word in edgewise?! But the teen's wrath was promptly ignored as Eri hummed and hawed over the shirt, holding it up to her best friends frame with a beaming grin.

"It suits you!"

"Er, um, thank you, but… I really think-!" Shiki could barely form a complete sentence, the clash of embarrassment and pride bringing tears to her eyes. Neku had well and truly given up by this point. Everything he said either didn't help, was ignored, or made things about ten times worse! This conversationalist lark was harder than it looked. He made the mistake of glancing at the glasses-clad girl, and seeing her in a shaking mess provoked him into action once more. He wasn't going to abandon his oldest friend (that was still alive, that is) to the fashion wolves! Maybe someone would actually _listen_ to him this time.

"Oi, you two are really-"

"Oh, that top would look lovely with the skirt Shiki picked up."

"It really would! You heard him, girl. You _have_ to try it on!"

"B-but! I know you two are just being nice, but please stop lying to make me feel better!" Shiki's upset cry was enough for Eri to finally catch on, her mouth clamping shut mid-flight. Joshua, however, was a different story entirely. Ooh, he looked _pissed_.

"Shiki? No offense, but I don't know you well enough to bother lying simply to 'make you feel better'. I am simply stating the facts. The color and shape would suit your figure and skin tone, and you would look genuinely nice in it. If it made you look like a lumbering hag that belonged in a sewer I would waste no time in telling you so. I suggest you look elsewhere for idle flattery."

...It was official; Joshua had the social graces of an elephant. It was all Neku could do to resist facepalming, groaning slightly as both Eri and Shiki stared with open mouths. What was that idiot thinking?! Didn't he want the others to like him? While he knew it wasn't necessary, he could still hang with Josh separate from the others, but…he liked being able to chill with everyone with once. Selfish, yes, but true. Ugh, he was going to have to do some _serious_ damage control to bridge this gap.

"…Josh, I hereby declare you my sassy gay friend."

_Wait what_.

Neku had to make sure that he hadn't misheard, but one look at the joy on Eri's face confirmed it. Even Joshua was taken by surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't deny it! That was just so, so…fabulous! Ooh, you _have_ to check out this pair of jeans I found. I think they make me look fat, but the assistant won't tell me anything. Finally I'll get an honest opinion!"

And with that happy babble the Composer was dragged away, mild astonishment running riot on his face. Neku didn't blame him, he and Shiki staring after the pair and their shouts ("…since when was I gay?" "Really, don't even try to deny it." "That obvious?" "Fraid so.") with an odd atmosphere of confusion. Well, this was awkward… Hesitantly he turned to his oldest friend, taking in her shaken state with a wince in sympathy. That rant may have endeared Josh to Eri, but it had worked no such wonders on its intended recipient.

"Sorry about that. He…he means well." Neku put up lamely, inwardly cursing at the weakness of that argument. Well, how was he supposed to explain Joshua's way of thinking anyway?! If his trip to the Kiryu's had taught him anything, it was that the family's brand of logic was...twisted, to say the least. Shiki was just as unimpressed with the defense as Neku himself was, but she hid it well, offering her companion a shaky smile.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry for...losing it like that."

"No problem."

Really, he should leave it at that. Amends were made, Shiki was recovering, and Josh had been dragged somewhere where he couldn't do anymore damage. Yet Neku faltered for a few seconds, wrestling with an idea that was probably going to do more harm than good. She needed to hear it though...

"...You know, they were right. It would look good on you."

"Neku?!"

But he had already left, ignoring the bewildered exclamation behind him and swallowing embarrassment as spouting something so, so...sappy. What had gotten into him today?

* * *

"Oh, wow! That looks gorgeous!"

"I agree. Gold's a good color on you. Excellent choice, Eri."

"Heheh, stop it, you two! You're making me blush~"

Somehow they'd ended up in Sheep Heavenly, Neku's previous prediction of getting dragged everywhere coming true a lot faster than expected. He'd managed to break away from the newly dubbed 'fashion vultures' (Eri had blatantly refused to move from her new 'sassy' companion, Shiki was milling around the edges discreetly ignoring Joshua, and the Composer himself had been far too distracted by the new clothes that come out since he was last here to care) and found himself milling up the back with Rhyme, the girls plus Joshua's chatter a backdrop for their own, much quieter conversation. He didn't get to hang out with Rhyme much. Their age gap separated them for most of school, and it was rare to grab her by herself like this. Usually Beat followed her like a second shadow.

"Oh, what about this one?" Rhyme held up a bangle for closer inspection, smiling at her companion as he studied it. It did look like something Rhyme would wear, but...

"Won't your brother have a fit if you wear a bracelet decorated with sex symbols?"

"...Oh. Well, yes, he would." She sighed, placing the graphic bangle back with reluctance. Neku didn't think that even he could escape a beating for letting Beat's idolized sister buy something like that! So he simply pasted on an apologetic smile, directing her to the other, less suggestive pieces of jewelry.

"...You know..."

"Hmm?"

"Joshua reminds me of you, just a little. It's rather ironic."

Neku choked back his surprised start, but only succeeded in sending himself into a coughing fit. How the hell had Rhyme picked that up so quickly?! She just looked startled, for her part, scurrying over to pound him on the back. Obviously she didn't expect her words to have such an impact.

When he'd finally calmed down enough to stop trying to expel his lungs from his chest, Neku had to wonder just how Rhyme had become this perceptive. It wasn't like he and Josh looked physically similar, apart from the inherent lankiness they both possessed, and they both talked and acted differently. Hell, it'd taken Neku a while to notice the mental similarities! How had Rhyme picked it up in a matter of days? One of which Josh was shooting at them? The idea that she'd inherited it from her family was laughable; she had Beat for a brother, after all. Then again... maybe it was _because_ Beat was such a dumbass…

"...Neku? You're staring again."

He jumped at the pointed statement, snapping out of his musings to find that he had indeed let his eyes glaze over. Oops.

"Sorry. Just wondering how you turned out so damn perceptive when you've got fucking _Beat_ for a brother." Rhyme just grinned at the otherwise tactless statement, adjusting her beanie a bit higher on her head. Neku had learned that the gesture was Rhymes version of a knowing laugh.

"It's not as subtle as you think, you know."

"..."

Neku decided to ignore that, because he'd rather not think that he shared too many obvious details with a slightly deranged Composer. That would be...awkward. So he quickly moved the topic back to safer ground, ignoring the younger girls amusement at the sudden jab at Beat.

"Whatever. Still, my point stands. Beat is as aware as a brick."

She giggled at that, returning to the display with a smile still tugging at her lips.

"Is this bracelet any better?"

"It's nice."

"Mm, it is. I think I'll buy this one."

"...Let me."

"Eh? Oh no, I couldn't possibly-"

"No excuses, I want to do this. Besides, what guy would let a cute girl buy her own present?"

A bad attempt at a flirtatious wink was thrown in here, just to remind Rhyme that he was joking and wasn't really coming onto her. Lord help him if Beat ever misunderstood...but Rhyme was smart and understood what was happening; there was little danger in playing around in this way with her.

"...Darn, now you've pulled the gentleman card. I suppose I'll have to let you then." She was smiling though, and handed over the bracelet with a quiet "Thanks."

"Anytime."

Though it was only afterwards, when the jewelry was well and truly purchased, that Neku noticed one glaringly obvious point.

"...Oi, where's Beat?"

* * *

Beats location had come to light eventually, exploding out of the changing room adorned in various necklaces and a skirt. Apparently the girls had kidnapped him almost as soon as they entered Sheep Heavenly, Joshua binding him with a thought, laughing and commenting as the others forced the buff teen into various outfits...he really shouldn't be surprised. Put Josh and Eri in a room together and stunts like this were bound to happen. But they'd sorted it all out eventually, Rhyme placating her distraught brother with a bemused expression, while Josh smoothly talked his way out with the assistant. At least Joshua and Shiki seemed closer now because of their shared kidnapping. They were actually _talking_ now, glory be! All sarcasm aside though, Neku found the chaos strangely nostalgic, and so simply observed it all with a slight smile.

"My, someone looks contented." Joshua sidled up next to him, footsteps falling in time as the group left Molco behind them. Just because the Composer convinced the assistant not to press charges didn't mean they had escaped being kicked out...Eri had _not_ been impressed. Neku took a second to consider the implied question, staring up at the clouds that trailed above, before shifting his gaze back to the pavement he'd grown up on. Was that how he felt? Contented? He sneaked a glance over at Josh, and had to fight back a smile as satisfaction welled up in him like a tidal wave. Yeah, that was a pretty accurate description.

"Mm. That's because I am."

"Care to share why?" Neku snorted at that, not because he found the query stupid, but because _like hell_ he'd tell Josh the truth about that! He didn't want Josh getting a bigger head than he already had...it'd probably explode or something. You could never tell with these ethereal beings.

"Like hell."

"Aww, boo." Josh didn't sound mad at all though. In fact, Neku could hear a glimmer of the same quiet happiness he felt in the Composers tone, and it soothed some bundle of nerves that twittered _what if they don't like him? What if you're forced to choose between them? What if-_

He quickly ridded himself of such thought processes; it wasn't like he was some nervous mother at a first play date! Ah damn...Neku could feel the irritation starting to build in his system, a far-too-familiar ball of anger starting to bundle in his chest. This...wasn't good. He needed a distraction. Unfortunately for the Composer, he was whom Neku saw first. In Neku's defense, Joshua was acting surprisingly relaxed compared to the guarded flamboyance he usually flaunted. It was hard _not_ to poke fun at his sudden chilled attitude.

"I could ask you the same thing, actually. What has got you purring like the cat that ate the canary?" He teased, thumping Josh's shoulder in an unusually physical act of familiarity for the teen. The jibe didn't go unnoticed, and a smirking Composer replied in kind.

"Oh, just that I'm so close to my Dear Neku. Be still my beating heart!" The dramatic swoon that accompanied Josh's statement was quickly dodged, leaving the teen to fall onto nothing. At least, that was the plan, except Neku had overlooked the tiny fact that Josh was the almost-deity of Shibuya. So instead Joshua floated on his back for a few good seconds before flipping himself onto his feet, an exaggerated yawn and a smirk in tow. It was moments like these that Neku really hated the bastard.

"Asshole."

"Love you too~"

Grumbling, Neku focused once more on the road in front of him. He'd well and truly lost that round... oh well. He enjoyed these clashes with Joshua, and they let him blow off steam in a way that nobody else could. Even if he did often leave feeling more irritated than when he started. But like hell he'd ever let Josh know any of this! He did have some pride, thank you very much. So he let out an annoyed sigh, slowing his step to allow the Composer to catch up.

"You and Shiki seem to be getting along okay now."

"I...suppose. She's nice enough, and has a killer sense of fashion. I just wish she'd display _some_ semblance of self-confidence! I have no time for people who cannot accept the truth simply because it does not fit their warped image of themselves."

Ooh, Joshua sounded irritated. Obviously he didn't have much patience for shyness. Though Neku could hardly talk, he didn't either. If he hadn't been forced to get to know Shiki, to meet the girl behind the sniveling insecurity, he'd probably have blown her off just as Josh was doing. It...just took time. So he just shrugged at the Composer's statement, looking over his shoulder at his friends lagging behind with a rare, fond smile.

"I thought the same at first. But it's just something she's working through, and Shiki's one of the best friends I could ask for. She...doesn't give up on people."

His speech trailed off into a curse as he was forced to focus on the crowd they shared the pavement with, weaving through the crowd that seemed to miraculously appear. Ugh, why was it so busy? He knew it was sale day, but...Neku had to bite back more profanities as the crowd jostled him every which-way, and he found himself wondering idly if Josh was still behind him. He didn't want to lose the petite teen in this rabble! Though he kept that particular observation about the Composer's height under wraps, assuming that any jabs about his slight frame would be taken as well as Neku himself took them: not well at all. Though it _was _nice to finally find someone shorter than him... even if it was only by a centimeter or two. When you were below average height you took what you could get!

Neku turned to check for Joshua's whereabouts, but was taken by surprise at the expression trying to break through on the pale teens face. Was that...longing? He followed Joshua's gaze to a cylindrical metal cage jutted out into the street, the crowds swarming around it, but what was truly interesting was that Josh was trying to hide his attraction to it. He hadn't bothered to keep quiet if he'd wanted to look at something earlier today...he found himself wondering just what was so enthralling. So Neku jogged up to Josh and grabbed his arm, pulling him through the crowds none too gently.

"What're you...?"

"You wanted to look at the cage, right?"

"...! I appreciate your concern, however I was only-"

Okay, now he was flat-out denying his interest in this...thing? It only served to fuel Neku's curiosity. Who knows, it could be some bargain bin that would send Shiki and Eri into a frenzy! Or something terribly embarrassing that he could blackmail Josh with later. Fine, so maybe his intentions for helping weren't entirely innocent, so sue him. But when he finally broke through the masses, Composer in tow, he was not expecting the tiny balls of fluff that greeted him. Were those..._rabbits_? He vaguely registered Josh doubling his attempts to pull away, spouting a near continuous stream of dialogue that boiled down to a dragged out way of saying 'let me go.' Joshua sounded angry, exasperated, and...embarrassed. Oho, like Neku would let this go now. His blackmail hunch had been right! Score!

"Really, Josh? Rabbits?"

"As I stated previously, I was merely wondering about the gathering point of the crowd! I have no interest in these...rodents." The Composer sniffed, but there was no hiding the slight tinge on the tips of his cheekbones. He also sounded a lot more formal in his speech than earlier. Was this Joshua speak for 'I'm so embarrassed I don't know what to do right now'? Neku decided to test his theory. For scientific purposes, of course. Not because he enjoyed tormenting his friend or anything- oh who was he kidding? Neku was enjoying this way too much.

"Well, this is a surprise. Let's go see if we can hold one." Neku yanked the teen forward once more, biting back a grin at the spluttered noises Josh was making behind him. Aww, how cute. Was Josh all flustered? It only encouraged the teen rather than sparking sympathy, so he waltzed up to the assistant and put on his best smile.

"Hi there. Can my friend hold one of the rabbits?"

"Neku! I said that I was _fine_." Josh hissed, still tugging at his arm in an attempt to break free. Neku didn't believe a word of it. If Joshua _really_ didn't want to be here, he would've teleported halfway across Shibuya by now. This struggle was all for the sake of pride.

"Why, certainly! What color would the young man prefer?"

"You heard her Josh. What color would the 'young man' like?"

"I am _so_ going to murder you for this."

"Yeah yeah, plan your revenge after picking the color of the damn rabbit."

"...White."

Neku smirked in victory as the Composer looked incredibly pissed off, embarrassment tingling his cheeks a lovely pale shade of pink. Oh my word, he was blushing. This was better blackmail material than he had hoped for! But all thoughts of cruelty melted away when the assistant handed over the tiny critter, and one look at Josh cradling it and trying to hide a smile with a scowl was enough to shoot down any nasty plans. He just looked so damn...cute. It was strangely awkward, like he was seeing something he wasn't supposed to, and found himself tearing his eyes off his companion with a cough.

He never thought that Joshua would be the type to go gushy over bunnies though...yet another tidbit to file away for later use. Hmm, maybe he should wave the others over? They had just dashed off into the crowd, after all, and Shiki would be working herself into a panic at their disappearance. But when Neku turned to relay his decision and got an eyeful of the Composer gently bumping noses with the rabbit...well, let's just say Neku felt a little selfish. The others didn't get to see this. This was special. So Neku just grinned and ruffled the rabbit's fur, ignoring the startled look he earned for his trouble.

"They're rather adorable, aren't they?"

"...Yeah."

"Though what's more adorable is that you have a soft spot for 'em." He was teasing, and the glare he received shown that it hadn't gone unnoticed. Like he'd let a simple stare deter him though! This was too good an opportunity to pass up, blackmail or no. Finally he could irritate Joshua for once, instead of the other way around!

"So? You gonna buy one?"

"Oh please. What on earth would I do with it?"

"It'd make a pretty awesome hat." And with that statement Neku swooped the poor animal out of Joshua's hands and dumped it on his startled companions head. What do you know, it matched Joshua's hair color! As if to prove Neku's point the bunny wasted no time in burrowing into the Composer's hair, probably hiding from the crazy orange haired teen.

"Heh, it looks like you've got rabbit ears."

"Just- just shut up." Joshua grumbled, vocabulary finally failing him as he delicately removed the animal, handing it back to the expectant assistant with haste. Ooh, Josh was mad. Somehow Neku wasn't bothered by this fact. Instead the teen simply placed his hands behind his head and grinned, waltzing over with an undeniable air of self-satisfaction. Josh looked less than impressed.

"Don't think I've forgotten what I said. I _will_ murder you for this."

"Pssh, your life would be too boring without me." Neku was too busy congratulating himself to notice Joshua's final whisper, the Composer watching him wave the others over with a tiny, almost fond smile.

"...True."

* * *

"Good day- ah! A pleasure to see you again, M'lady!" Neku was not prepared for Princess K's burst of excitement, bounding over to Josh with all the enthusiasm of a puppy. Wait...'M'lady'? Since when was Joshua female royalty? The Composer just brushed off his questioning stare, returning her greeting in kind.

"Oh no, the pleasure's all mine, your Highness. How are you this fine day?"

"Splendid! Our designer has finally got a new line out, and I must say, it's almost as if it was made for you! You _must_ let me have the honor of seeing you in it!" She babbled happily, not even waiting for a reply before dragging of a rather bemused Joshua. Neku almost felt sorry for him. He'd never seen her so...worked up. Man, obviously Josh looked damn good in the clothes here. Why else would the usually calm Princess K enter such a frenzy?

He quickly cut his musings short once he noticed Eri eyeing him, swiftly moving to the back of the store. Like hell he was going to let her change his wardrobe! The second she got close enough to grab his arm, it was all over...

Beat was nearby, thank the gods, and Neku hurriedly used him as a makeshift shield to avoid the fashion crazy redhead. Not even Eri would dare mention fashion near Beat! Besides, he hadn't had much of a chance to talk to his buff friend today. While it wasn't the most stimulating conversation, it was almost refreshing talking to someone too stupid to be dishonest. With this in mind Neku tapped him on the shoulder, frowning slightly at the uneasy expression he was met with.

"Hey. What's up?"

"N-Nothin', yo. Jus' thinkin'." Beat muttered, his eyes wandering over to the changing room where Joshua and the Princess resided. He seemed bothered by something. That in itself was a rarity, considering how Beat was usually so loud and intense. Neku stared at him, violet orbs unimpressed and searching, before he decided that he wasn't going to put up with any more of this crap and spoke.

"Don't give me that. What's on your mind?"

"Well... It's jus' that- that chick called Prissy kid 'M'lady'."

"Your point is?"

"Aw man, don' make me spell it out, yo..." Beat rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke, clearly less than comfortable with the situation. "J-Josh looks really...girly, ya know?"

Neku was still at a loss here. Beat wasn't making any sense dammit! Usually he cut straight for the point, it was odd for him to be dancing around the issue like this. This was so aggravating!

"Get on with it!"

"What if Joshua's actually a chick?!"

The sheer stupidity of Beat's panicked shout actually stunned Neku into silence. And here he was, wondering if his buff friend had a legitimate concern, but all it was involved Josh's obvious femininity?! A disbelieving glance registered the sincerity in his companion's eyes, confirming that yes, he was serious and yes, Beat was an idiot. Neku could feel a migraine coming on...

"Ugh, Beat? Josh is most assuredly male."

"How do you know that, yo? He could'a been a chick this whole time an' nobody'd know!"

"No, listen-"

"An' you have to have noticed those curves, man! Where's your proof? Gimme proof that Prissy Kid is a bona-fide bloke!" Beat was shouting now, drawing stares from the other customers while Neku tried to melt into the clothes rack. Getting harassed by his buff friend was _not_ how he planned for today to go.

"Just can it for a second! You're too fucking loud!" Even Beat knew to shut up when he took on that tone of voice. "Josh is a guy, okay?! I refuse to endure these idiotic worries of yours any longer!"

"My my, what's with all the shouting?"

Neku whirled at the Composer's call, and had to swallow a start of surprise when Josh strode out in an intricate dress. He looked just like a girl...oh _shit_. One glance confirmed that Beat was drawing in breath, ready to shout to the rooftops about this 'proof' of Joshua's newfound womanhood, and Neku grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the store. If he was going to explode, he could at least do it out of Joshua's earshot.

* * *

"See?! See, I told you! He's totally a lady, yo!"

"No, he's not. Just because he looks good in a dress-"

"Too good, if you ask me! I need to go tell the others that you've got some crazy yandere chick on your trail."

"...Yandere?"

"Well yeah, she tried to shoot you, dumbass!" And now she's actin' all nice... it's suss, yo. You got yourself a stalker girl!"

"FOR THE LAST TIME, JOSH IS NOT A-"

"Ah!" Neku was cut off mid-rant as he felt a presence fall behind him, bumping into someone as he gestured angrily. Aww crap! He didn't mean to knock someone over. His fury was quickly forgotten as he raced to help the victim up, already spouting apologies.

"Oh, I didn't see you there. You okay?"

...Fine, so maybe not apologies. It was as close as he was ever going to get though, and the recipient didn't seem to mind, vaguely replying in kind.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry to make you worry." The girl took the offered hand and Neku pulled her up, running a quick check for any lost items that may have shaken loose in the mishap. The last thing he wanted was to be accused of stealing anything...wait.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?"

"Hmm?"

Now Neku remembered, finally attaching a name to her face. Great, as if this needed help to descend into awkwardness. Bumping into an acquaintance from school was just what he needed.

"Yeah. Rena, right? I'm Neku. We're lab partners."

Now it was the girl's turn to jolt, obviously feeling guilty for forgetting.

"I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you."

You'd have to be an idiot to not pick up on the underlying subtext of _because we never talk, let alone interact_, and Neku was no idiot. Before things could get truly uncomfortable though who should skip out but Joshua, still wearing the same dress from before.

"So here's where you ran off to. We could hear your howling from inside, you know."

The smirk that adorned Josh's face spoke clearly of his knowledge of Beat's worries, and it was almost comical to watch the horror in the buff teen's expression. Well, that'd remove his fears quickly enough. Now there was another person in this recipe for social disaster... he supposed he'd better get this over with. With a sigh Neku turned to his classmate, the obligatory introductions on the tip of his tongue, but what he saw caused him to falter.

Fear.

Absolute, crushing fear.

Rena was shaking like a deer in the headlights, palms fluttering open and shut in anxiety. Neku thought she was going to pass out! You'd have to be completely heartless to ignore this level of panic, and so Neku reached out to her in concern.

"Hey, you okay?"

Her eyes snapped to him, wide and frantic, and she grabbed his arm in a clumsy lunging motion. What the hell was wrong with her?! Neku almost pulled his arm away, until he heard a voice on the point of sobbing hiss in his ear.

"Wh-what are you doing?! Run! He'll, he'll... he..."

She broke off mid sentence and thrust herself away, eyes fixating on Joshua once more. Obviously something was going on here...perhaps they knew each other? Though one look at the bemused expression on the Composer's face crushed that idea. Argh, Neku was so confused! The fact that she suddenly bolted with a choked cry only strengthened this feeling. At least someone found some amusement in it, Joshua strolling over with a raised eyebrow.

"My, is someone having girl troubles? I know that I look gorgeous, but I didn't mean to inspire jealousy. I do apologize~" He sang, flopping across Neku with a devilish grin. Wh- as if! He barely spoke to the girl! Talk about jumping to conclusions. The teen just snorted in response, brushing the grinning fiend off. Come to think of it, Beat was awfully quiet...Neku turned to his friend, expecting some expression of embarrassment, but instead had to fight back an overwhelming desire to groan at the starry-eyed Beat.

"Dude...she was amazing, yo."

It was official; Neku was going to hit something.

* * *

Finally, a chance to sit down! Admittedly they'd only stopped because it was starting to get dark (had the day swung past already?), but it was still an aching reprieve for his aching feet. So it was no surprise that Neku was the first to sit down, skipping his usual banter with Sanae. He was tired dammit! The girls were rather exhausting... especially since they'd warmed up to Josh by the sixth shop they'd entered.

The barista just raised a questioning eyebrow at the display, chuckling at the baleful glare he received, but letting the matter slide. He'd like to keep his head attached to his shoulders, thank you very much. So Neku just watched through half-lidded eyes as the rest of the bunch filtered in, observing the cheerful exchange of greetings one by one until Josh sauntered in. This should be interesting...

"Evening Mr. H. Your shop's as empty as always."

"...Oh, if it isn't the almighty Composer! Should I bow at your feet, oh exalted one?"

"Only if it helps you feel better about your empty existence as a barista." The smirk that adorned Joshua's face took all of the sting out of his words though, and Mr. H replied in kind.

" Ouch! Whatever you say, M'lady. Get that pasty tush of yours in here! It's been far too long."

That went...far better than expected, and Neku found himself frowning. It wasn't like he wanted them to fight or anything, but... Mr. H had been nearly adamant that Josh wasn't going to show up. Couldn't he act a little more surprised? Maybe even gape a little? Perhaps even come over and make some congratulatory comment about how Neku had proved him wrong?

Wait.

Was he _seriously_ pining for a compliment from Mr. H?! Oh my god, that was just so many layers of pathetic. Neku found himself incredibly pissed at himself and promptly started gnawing aggressively at a stray fork, too busy berating himself to notice his actions. Okay, so maybe Mr. H _was_ his hero, not to mention his art was the only thing that pulled him through a rough patch in his short life, but that was no reason to go all mopey for his attention! He was starting to act like those creeper slammurai fanboys.

...He still wanted a compliment though...

Neku increased his onslaught on the utensil in his mouth, the poor fork getting violently chewed on with twice the vigor of before. Unfortunately his odd behavior had not gone unnoticed.

"...Having fun there? There are better ways to combat an iron deficiency, you know." Josh stated, and the grin that followed as Neku dropped the fork with a splutter rubbed him all the wrong ways. Bastard! There were about a million nicer ways to voice that. Then again, if he _did_ twist his words to soften the blow, it wouldn't be Joshua. So Neku just ducked his head with a scowl, unable to think of anything to explain his actions. Luckily Josh let it go with little more than a chuckle at his expense.

"Oh, relax Dear. Now we both know something embarrassing about the other, hmm?" Neku blinked at that. Oh yeah, the bunny thing. He supposed he could force his silence with that, but something in the Composer's tone was...different. Like this wasn't a simple blackmail exchange.

"Are you...are you offering to keep it a secret for me?" His tone perfectly captured Neku's disbelief, and it seemed to irritate his companion. Well geez, he hadn't meant to piss him off. It was just hard to believe that _Josh_ of all people would willingly keep quiet about something that could bring great pain to his ex-proxy. Unless...maybe he thought…

"Of course, imbecile. Isn't that what...it's just common decency."

Now it was Neku's turn to grin as Joshua spluttered around the word 'friend', as if speaking it out loud would break something. This was just too hilarious! And...strangely cute. Poor josh sounded so lost... he really wasn't good at this 'being sincere' thing, was he? That was fine though, Neku wasn't exactly a master at saying what he meant either. So he simply leaned over and poked Joshua in the forehead, wearing a self-satisfied smile.

"You're not going to jinx anything by calling me a friend, you know."

"...! So Shiki, you haven't told me how you got into sewing."

The teen just laughed out loud at the sudden subject change, regarding the Composer with a smug expression as the pale teen focused on looking anywhere but at Neku. Man, he was feeling better already!

He left Joshua to his conversation with Shiki (he'd heard this tale many a time before) and left the table to seek out Mr. H, coffee the only thing on his mind. Neku supposed he'd been a bit spoiled when it came to caffeinated drinks, having his favorite blend on demand and at a discount, but he actually had a very good reason to satisfy his caffeine addiction, thank you very much. He was hoping to chat with the barista for a bit, thank him for the information that saved his life. If he hadn't been warned beforehand and brought his pin just in case...well, he'd be six feet under by now. So with that in mind Neku moved toward the counter, returning Mr. H's usual smile with gratitude.

"The usual, please."

"Comin' right up, Phones. Oh yeah, well done for not getting yourself shot."

It was spoken as a joke, so Neku replied in kind. It was usual for them, after all.

"It wasn't easy. We all know how stubborn Josh can be, especially when he's set on placing a bullet through your skull."

Mr. H simply snorted in response, working his machine with the ease of many years practice. Neku found it fascinating. To think that something as simple as pulling a lever required so much training...interesting. Now he knew how to get easy money if the need ever arose! With a jet of steam the barista finished, turning to his customer with a flourish reminiscent of the final brushstroke on a masterpiece. An odd analogy, but true. It was near impossible to _not_ associate Mr.H with art.

"Come'n get it!"

Neku reached for the mug with a smile, but it was quickly replaced by a wince at the dull ache that pounded in his shoulder. Darn, not again...It had been sore on and off all day! Though he supposed he shouldn't have expected any different, considering he had a bullet lodged in there not too long ago. He couldn't expect Josh's healing to be the miracle cure-all he wanted it to be. His pain did not slip past unnoticed however, Mr. H frowning with mild concern.

"You all right there?"

"I'll be okay, just a little reminder of Josh's temper tantrum."

"Ooh, gotcha. Played pincushion, did ya?"

"Kind of." Neku agreed, still wearing a slight smile. "I almost regret handing him back his gun now!"

"...What?"

Something in Mr. H's tone made Neku freeze, eyes snapping up to meet the barista's with an element of surprise. What'd he say? He didn't get much time to ponder though as he was manhandled for the second time today, getting yanked across the bench top with nary as much as a warning.

"Phones. Tell me what happened."

All the playfulness was gone from the older man's tone, scaring the teen more than he'd like to admit. He'd fucked up. He didn't know how or why, but the suddenly intense atmosphere had him on edge...and wary.

"What? Josh just reacted badly, like you said he would. Nothing more."

Okay, maybe he was twisting his words a little, but he wasn't sure that he wanted Mr. H to know the truth now. He thought it wouldn't be a big deal. Heck, if he'd been none to fussed with Neku trying to choke Shiki, why should being shot be such an event? Mr. H was not pleased with this secretive response.

"Kid, _listen_ to me. This is important. Did Joshua shoot you?"

"Why-"

"_Did he shoot you?_"

"No, he-"

"_Neku._"

"He didn't mean it!" He blurted, because he was scared, Mr. H was scaring him, with his serious eyes and firm grip. Was this really the same man that laughed everything off, took nothing seriously? Was this really Mr. H? The barista released Neku with a groan, barely noticing how the teen almost recoiled from his presence.

"Fuck...god dammit Josh!" He hissed, and for one lonely second he looked torn, miserable and _tired_. It only reinforced the gnawing panic in the teens mind. "I...need to make a call..."

"Mr. H!"

But he was gone, disappearing into the back of the shop with the resigned step of a reluctant murderer. Neku would be lying if he said he wasn't freaking out. He'd fucked up. _Something_ was going to happen, something bad, and it was all because he'd opened his fat mouth. How could he be calm about this? Not after being able to relax with all his friends for the first time today, not after seeing Joshua indulge in a moment of childishness with the rabbits. He noticed the Composer's questioning stare coupled with Rhymes gaze as the two of the more perceptive in the group (one by position, one by nature) picked up on his distress, and felt an odd ache shoot through him at the sight. He couldn't look at them. He'd fucked up. But he flashed them a smile that wasn't really fooling anyone, sitting down once more, and placing his head on the table in a vain attempt to ignore the feeling that everything was going to blow up because of _him_.

He'd succeeded, for a while. The constant chatter and jokes his group provided soothed his nerves, convincing himself that maybe, just maybe, nothing would go wrong. Maybe Mr. H just had some really serious business to attend to, that Neku only reminded him of...? Relief is short lived though, and Neku knew it. So he wasn't surprised when Mr. H reappeared at closing time with four figures behind him, shooing everyone out except Joshua. He didn't make a fuss, didn't try to catch Mr. H's eyes. He just saw everyone else off with a smile and milled over to the entrance of the cafe. It was his fault, right? So it was the least he could do to wait for Joshua, maybe even defend him if needed. He really hoped he hadn't done anything too terrible... Like get the Composer in trouble with the higher-ups. With that sobering conclusion gnawing at the pit of his stomach, Neku settled down outside to wait for Joshua's reappearance.

**Aww snap. Shit's about to go down yo. Erm, Reviews are adored and are a massive modivation boost! So Love something? Hate something? Just feel like a chat? Drop me a review! Thank you for reading~**


End file.
